Ventura Divorce Attorney
Highly-Rated Divorce Lawyers Serving Ventura County, Oxnard, & Surrounding Areas
Divorce is a complicated process to go through, mentally, emotionally, and financially. However, you can take on some things with the proper legal counsel and representation. At SANTO MEHAS, A Professional Law Corporation, our divorce lawyers pride ourselves on providing compassionate and comprehensive divorce services serving Ventura, CA, with a holistic approach.
With an unwavering dedication to our clients, our Ventura divorce lawyers go above and beyond to ensure we exceed our client’s expectations at every step.
Contact Our Attorneys Online or Call Us at (805) 222-7818 and Let Us Know How Our Family Law Lawyers Serving Ventura County Can Assist With Your Divorce!
Do You Need a Lawyer for Divorce in Ventura?
Hiring a Ventura County divorce attorney is not a requirement to divorce. There are ways to file on your own and represent yourself. However, retaining the right services of an experienced family law attorney proudly serving Ventura, CA, is always recommended. A skilled family law attorney can help you navigate the complex areas of law that pertain to any divorce.
It is a common misconception that hiring a family law attorney will cause your divorce to become lengthier and more costly. On the contrary, our certified family law lawyers have compassion and respect for all our clients who are going through this difficult time. Therefore, we examine opportunities that will help expedite your divorce without overlooking critical steps.
How Can a Divorce Attorney Help Me?
- We can handle all the excess paperwork and legal documents that may seem overwhelming
- We develop strategies that tailor to your priorities and needs
- We will recommend which family law issues are worth your time pursuing
- If there are assets that your spouse may be hiding, we can help discover them
Our objective is to save you time and headache. We will work with you every step of the way to achieve both short and long-term results.
Adversarial, Litigated Divorce Services
Although the collaborative legal process can be an effective resolution for some clients, it is only suitable for some cases. For some divorce cases, an amicable resolution is not possible. Litigated dispute resolution is sometimes the only option that can overwhelm a family.
This is when it becomes critical to retain an experienced family law attorney you can trust if your spouse tries to take advantage of you.
Our family law attorneys have more than 70 years of legal experience representing clients with all their divorce and legal separation needs.
Sophisticated Representation for High-Asset Divorces
If your divorce involves a considerable amount of wealth or high-value assets, it’s important to seek the right kind of legal representation that can take these factors into account. Rest assured that SANTO MEHAS A Professional Law Corporation has the legal experience, knowledge, and skill to help you protect your financial interests.
Identifying Community and Separate Property
California law requires an equal split of all community assets and debts. With this in mind, we must assist you in identifying which property is yours to take separately and which belongs to the community for equal division. We can use the services of consultants like forensic accountants and tax professionals to help us make these distinctions and argue for your right to a specific property in your divorce.
California Child Support & Alimony in High-Asset Divorce
Likewise, child and spousal support might play a role in your divorce. High-income earners like you and your spouse can face a more complicated legal process when calculating these support payments. Our attorneys, however, can help you identify and consider multiple income sources to get a fair and accurate picture of what you are owed or should pay.
What Is the Process for Getting Divorced in California?
If you do not qualify for a summary dissolution, a typical divorce consists of the following steps:
- One spouse will file for divorce and serve the other divorce papers.
- The spouse who was served has 30 days to file a response.
- One spouse may request a temporary child custody, child support, and/or restraining order if needed.
- The spouses go through a discovery period where they prepare the Preliminary Declaration of Disclosure, disclosing information about their finances, assets, property, and debts.
- 5. If each spouse has an attorney, they will all discuss a settlement.
- If the case is resolved with legal agreements, one attorney will prepare a Marital Settlement Agreement and each spouse, along with their attorneys, will sign this.
- If a settlement cannot be reached, the case will be taken to court.
Once a settlement has been reached – whether by a Marital Settlement Agreement or court order– a judge will issue a Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage.
How to Get Divorce in Ventura County?
You have to file signed and dated documents at the Ventura County Clerk. First, pay the filing cost and take copies of the submitted divorce papers. Then, ask a family member or a friend to complete the service process. They can hand-deliver or mail the legal documents and additional forms to your ex-spouse throughout Ventura County, CA.
Is It Better to File for Divorce First in California?
It does not matter who files first for divorce in California because it is a no-fault state. Considering no spouse needs evidence of any "cause" for divorce aside from "irreconcilable difference," there is no impact or challenges either party faces filing for divorce first.
How Long Does It Take to Get Divorced/End a Domestic Partnership in California?
The CA divorce process takes at least six months to finalize and starts once one spouse files for divorce and serves the other party with divorce papers. Therefore, it may take longer to finalize a divorce in California, but it will not be shorter than six months to complete.
Is California a Community Property State?
When it comes time to divide property during a divorce, all community property will be divided equally, or 50-50, in the state of California. California is a community property state, meaning all property and debt acquired from the date of marriage until the date of legal separation is subject to this type of division.
All community assets will either be divided according to the couple’s agreement, or, if they cannot reach an agreement, by the court in CA.
Mediation Services
At SANTO MEHAS A Professional Law Corporation, we also offer mediation services led by attorney Donna Carol Santo, a certified specialist, Family Law California Board of Legal Specialization and certified mediator through the Institute for Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University School of Law.
Known as alternative dispute resolution, divorce mediation is led by a neutral, third-party individual who helps you and your spouse come to legal agreements regarding any issues you have about spousal support, child custody, and more.
Divorce mediation can offer several benefits for couples who are seeking an amicable and cost-effective way to end their marriage and resolve related issues. Here are some of the advantages of divorce mediation:
- Reduced Conflict: Mediation encourages open and constructive communication between spouses. It can help de-escalate conflict, which is often essential when children are involved.
- Control and Flexibility: In mediation, both parties have a say in the outcome and can work together to create a customized agreement that suits their unique needs and circumstances. This is in contrast to litigation, where a judge makes the final decisions.
- Cost-Effective: Mediation is typically less expensive than a contested divorce that goes to court. It usually requires fewer billable hours for attorneys and avoids costly litigation expenses.
- Quicker Resolution: Mediation tends to be a faster process than litigation. It allows couples to reach agreements more efficiently, potentially saving months or even years of legal proceedings.
- Privacy: Mediation is a private process, unlike court proceedings, which are generally a matter of public record.
- Child-Centered Focus: Mediation often places a strong emphasis on the best interests of the children involved, helping parents develop a co-parenting plan that benefits their kids.
- Preservation of Relationships: If there are ongoing relationships that need to be maintained (e.g., co-parenting or business partnerships), mediation can help preserve these relationships more effectively than adversarial litigation.
- Higher Compliance: Parties are generally more likely to comply with the terms of a mediated agreement since they had a direct hand in crafting it.
- Legal Guidance: While a mediator cannot provide legal advice, they can facilitate discussions and provide information about legal issues, helping both parties make informed decisions.
When both spouses are willing to work together to find common ground and reach agreements, mediation can be a highly beneficial and efficient process for resolving divorce-related issues.
Helpful Resources
Our Promise as Your Ventura Divorce Lawyers
Our Ventura divorce lawyers can handle all aspects of a divorce, whether collaborative or adversarial in nature. We can litigate with aggression, or negotiate with compassion, employing whatever method is in your best interest.
Protect your children. Protect your family, now.
Contact us online or give our law offices a call at (805) 222-7818 and let us know how we can assist with your divorce or separation.
An Emphasis on Strong Family Values
Our firm places a strong emphasis on the importance of family values. The balance between maintaining these family values and generating a better future for you and your family is one we strive to achieve with each case. Our values consist of:
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Holistic Approach
We aim to resolve conflict so you and your family can move on peacefully. We approach all aspects of a case, including the emotional, financial, and mental components, and advocate with you throughout.
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Collaboration
Collaborative divorce can be a great option for spouses looking to share joint custody of their child/children and the court looks favorably on this decision. When possible, we strive to come to a resolution that will benefit both spouses.
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Children Come First
We respect the fact that our clients trust us with important life-decisions. We strive to be as understanding and empathetic as we can with you and treat you like we would treat a close family member.
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Compassionate Legal Services
We respect the fact that our clients trust us with important life-decisions. We strive to be as understanding and empathetic as we can with you and treat you like we would treat a close family member.
Our Satisfied Clients
Real Stories from Real People
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“She and her staff are professional with decades of experience.”
- JasonI recommend Donna Santo and her staff. She and her staff are professional with decades of experience. They understand the law and how family law cases are heard in the courts. I had an extremely complex custody case with dozens of health professionals, collateral contacts, and opinions floating around. There were so many accusations, crisis, and charges; and every one of them felt extremely important to me. My concerns were serious, and the innumerable quantity along with counter accusations overwhelmed the courts. Donna's office was able to sift through and make sense of things to help get things on track. Donna's office took the time to relate this to the courts in a logical digestible manner for the best possible outcome. It took time. I needed to trust. She knows her stuff, and is strong at the right times.
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“Exceptional Lawyer”
Attorney Michael Mehas was one of the most straight forward people I have ever met. He handled my cases immediately. He accomplished something for me and my family that three Los Angeles County divorce lawyers failed to do: He got child support from my ex husband within short periods of time. He guided me through the process with honest advice, and his legal fees were very reasonable, he's professional, and I have referred him to family members. Since then, Mr. Mehas has also handled several civil matters for me and is the only attorney I turn to when I need legal help. I’d hire him again, such a positive experience in the middle of a bad situation. Thank you, Michael Mehas, for all you've done for me and my family.- Jess -
“Working with Donna was refreshing.”
“Working with Donna was refreshing.”- Daniel W. -
“Donna, through her vast experience, was able to give me my financial life back and has made it possible for me to plan for my future.”
- DanGreat family law attorney. I consulted with Donna Santo regarding my complex family law case and was immediately impressed with her professionalism, knowledge and experience. Throughout my case I was given status updates and was able to pick up the phone and contact Donna. I never felt lost during the process. Donna was able to answer all of my questions and respond to all of my concerns. My ex wife went through several attorneys and even was self-represented for a while. Through all of this, Donna stayed the course, went to trial and we prevailed on all issues.
Because of Donna’s ability to understand real property laws, ours was in another country, complex income tax issues, self-employment and corporation income components, breach of fiduciary duty in my case, we were able to present our well-prepared case to the court.
Donna, through her vast experience, was able to give me my financial life back and has made it possible for me to plan for my future.
Needless to say I am pleased with the outcome in my case and highly recommend Donna, and her helpful staff, to anyone needing a professional Family Law attorney in Ventura County.
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“I would recommend him to anyone who needs a good attorney.”
- Molly C.I am lucky to have had Michael Mehas handle my family law child custody and visitation matter, personal injury, and business and employment matters, and he's the only attorney I've ever used. He's very compassionate in what he does and combines many years of experience with a great understanding of the law. I would recommend him to anyone who needs a good attorney.
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“I highly recommend using them!”
- Kirstie D.Donna Santo and Michael William Mehas have been amazing to work with. Very professional, knowledgeable , and kind. They helped me with a custody case and my family and I couldn’t be happier.
They were a blessing to us and we will forever appreciate them.
Thank you so much ❤️!
I highly recommend using them!
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“I recommend them”
Never fun needing to hire a lawyer but Michael and Donna were great to work with and helped to make the process go smoothly. They were both easy to reach, offered clear advice, and were honest in all of their interactions. I recommend them if you find yourself in need of solid legal help.- Brian L. -
“The level of honesty and professionalism is beyond compare, not to mention compassion.”
“The level of honesty and professionalism is beyond compare, not to mention compassion. I feel that any attorney that can show compassion to their client as well as represent them is by far the best attorney.”- Erin H.
