Sometimes, the divorce process tends to be a long and complicated process, especially if the parties are not able to see eye-to-eye on most subjects. That said, the events of the past couple of years have made the California divorce process even more challenging.
While most California courts have resumed business, they are contending with backlog cases alongside new court cases that are being filed on a daily basis. Here are some of the reasons behind the congestion and delay in California family law courts.
Appointments with court clerks
Previously, individuals looking to fill out forms or file documents with the family court needed to walk in and meet the court clerk for any of these services. However, this has not been the case in recent times. Rather, individuals in need of family court services have had to schedule appointments with court clerks. This meant people had to schedule an appointment with the court clerk before they could file for divorce or any other family court-related matter, which resulted in lengthy delays.
Challenges with technology
Thanks to the events of the past couple of years, family courts throughout California experienced a backlog of cases. To help mitigate this, the courts have opted to schedule online hearings. However, this too has come with its share of challenges. While zoom calls are a technological miracle, they can never be a perfect substitute for face-to-face meetings and interactions, especially on legal matters. Challenges related to failure in technology coupled with non-tech savvy parties (the conflicting parties and their legal representatives) slow down the court process resulting in delays in resolving family law matters.
If you are contemplating separation, divorce or any other family law matter, it is important to understand that your case may not be litigated and resolved as fast as you might wish. Knowing your legal options can help you litigate a family law matter without hurting your rights and interests.
