Divorce often brings about intense emotions for couples. When going through such a difficult experience, it can feel like you’re alone in the world. Having an empathetic Buena Park divorce lawyer to help you navigate legal proceedings is vital to your emotional and financial well-being.

Attorney Melissa Cianci is a Certified Family Law Specialist by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization. The lawyers at Cianci Law, PC, have an extensive track record of working with clients experiencing difficult times. We strive to put your needs first and are committed to giving compassionate legal care. You don’t have to go through this time alone.
Founded in 1887, Buena Park is home to many couples and families. While divorce is difficult, the process can ultimately lead you to a better life than before. In California, at least one spouse has to have lived in the state for six months and the county for three months before filing for divorce. You can file at the North Justice Center, located at 1275 North Berkeley Avenue in Fullerton.
Once filed, it’s important to hire a divorce lawyer to help ensure the most favorable outcome for divorce issues. These topics often involve a lot of money or emotional weight, such as a home or children. Working with a lawyer is the most recommended way to navigate a divorce.
California courts generally encourage couples to resolve divorce issues without court interference. Doing this can help ensure the outcome stays in your control. However, personal couple dynamics may make it difficult to communicate in a healthy way with your spouse. Arbitration is often used for those who can’t agree.
Alternative resolution dispute is an umbrella term for alternative methods to court interference or trial. One common method used in divorce is mediation. In this option, a third-party professional called a mediator helps facilitate healthy conversations between spouses over divorce issues, especially child custody or visitation.
Mediators are a neutral party and don’t make any legal decisions for the couple. Rather, they help both sides voice their opinions and work towards an agreement. With the average Buena Park income being $50,336, it’s important to have your lawyer with you during these discussions to help ensure your rights aren’t being violated at any point.
If the couple can agree on how to split their property, if spousal support will be paid, and child custody and support, they can have it in writing and signed for court approval. Although courts get final say, they’ll generally agree to any written agreements as long as the agreement is fair.
Mediation can be a great option for couples who want to maintain a healthy relationship, especially for parents. Agreements reached in mediation usually cover parenting plans, custody, and visitation. Mediation is a private and less costly method than court proceedings, making it ideal for many couples.
For those divorcing in Buena Park, the last thing you want to do is spend hours researching lawyers in your area. At Cianci Law, PC, we make the process easy for you. During your first appointment, we’ll listen to every detail of your case and your desires for the outcome.
We’ll be upfront about our pricing when you hire a divorce lawyer, so you aren’t blindsided at any point. With our years of experience helping California communities come out of divorce unscathed, we’re confident we can assist you.
California offers a simplified version of divorce for qualifying couples, called summary dissolution. To file for this, the marriage must have lasted less than five years, and there can’t be any children. Neither spouse can own real estate. Community property cannot exceed $25,000, and no separate property can exceed $25,000. Both parties must have agreed in writing on how to divide property and debts, waive spousal support, and waive the right to appeal.
In California, the law says that both parents have an equal responsibility to financially support their child in a way that suits the child’s needs. California has a statewide guideline for determining child support. Support is calculated based on each parent’s ability to pay, but both parents must support the child or children. Child support continues until the child turns 18 or finishes 12th grade or turns 19, whichever comes first.
In California, when a couple gets divorced, the court usually splits their community property equally. Community property is generally anything acquired during marriage, even debt. Separate property is usually considered anything acquired before the marriage, such as income or a house. However, for separate property that mixes with marital property, it can be subject to division. The average home value in Buena Park is $457,000, making property division a stressful topic for divorcing couples.
In California, if a couple divorces, the court may order one spouse to pay spousal support to the other. The court considers many factors. These include each spouse’s ability to earn income, their contributions to the marriage, and the standard of living during the marriage. Support may not be ordered if the spouse has enough separate income to support themselves. The court usually orders support to end at a specific set time, but some cases can be exceptions to this.
The team at Cianci Law, PC, focuses exclusively on family law. This facet of legal practice typically comes with complex feelings for clients. You don’t have to hide those feelings from us. We’re passionate about our clients and will fight hard for you. Contact us today to schedule your first appointment.
★★★★★
“Melissa is knowledgeable, intelligent, confident, professional and passionate. She explained the process for my case in terms I could easily understand and was always responsive to any questions I had. I am extremely grateful for Melissa and her team. I highly recommend this law firm.” – Gee Lor
★★★★★
“Melissa Cianci is a skilled Family Law Specialist. She had great success in my case and I’m extremely thankful. She really knows the law and argues the case effectively. She genuinely cared about myself and my child, and she worked extremely hard to get the best outcome for us.” – Cassandra Morris
★★★★★
“Melissa is very friendly and knowledgeable. She is also the kind of person that will give it to you straight. I very much enjoyed working with her and know if I ever have any questions I can always get a hold of her and she will respond pretty quickly.” – Chelsi Dvorak
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