DIVORCE
To terminate a marriage by legal action, one spouse must be a resident of California for at least six months and of the county of filing for at least three months immediately prior to filing the petition. As with legal separation, the grounds for dissolution in California are “irreconcilable differences” and “incurable insanity”.
With the proper filing of all required documents and possibly no court appearance, dissolutions can become final with marital status ending as soon as six months and one day after the respondent was served.
After a judgment of dissolution is granted, and the minimum time requirement date has passed, husband and wife are no longer married to each other. They are free to go their separate way, even remarry, or become a domestic partner again. In the meantime, the court had made orders disposing of the martial property, providing for custody, visitation, support of the children, and possibly support of one spouse.