Joint Petition for Dissolution of Marriage

Petition for Divorce along with calculator, glasses and pen

By: Ty Supancic of The Law Collaborative

For decades, divorce in California has started the same way:
One person files. The other person responds.

Even when both spouses mutually agreed that the marriage should end, the legal process forced them into opposing roles. One had to “file and serve” the divorce. The other had to formally respond. It set an adversarial tone from day one — even in cases where no one wanted a fight.

A System That Didn’t Match Many Couples’ Reality

California’s Legislature has long recognized that:

“The peaceful resolution of disputes in a fair, timely, appropriate, and cost-effective manner is an essential function of the judicial branch…”

And that many disputes can be resolved more fairly through less formal processes than litigation.

Yet until recently, there were very few laws that truly supported that goal in family law.

A Major Change: Joint Petitions Begin January 1, 2026

As of January 1, 2026, California now offers a new option:
Joint Petition for Dissolution of Marriage (Form FL-700).

This is a significant shift.

Couples can now:

  • File for divorce together
  • Avoid positioning one spouse as the “petitioner” and the other as the “respondent”
  • Skip formal service of process
  • Avoid alleging a date of separation at the outset
  • Avoid staking early claims about support or property

In counties such as Los Angeles, couples filing jointly may even pay only one filing fee, creating a financial incentive to proceed cooperatively.

Who Is This For?

There are no formal restrictions on who can file a Joint Petition. However, it may not be appropriate in situations involving:

  • Coercive control
  • Domestic violence
  • Significant power imbalances

But for many couples, this new option will feel like a breath of fresh air.

It may be especially helpful for:

  • Couples seeking a respectful reorganization of their family
  • Parents committed to minimizing conflict
  • Spouses who want to reach fair agreements without litigation
  • Individuals who feel intimidated by the adversarial tone of traditional divorce filings

It may also help when one spouse feels hesitant — perhaps fearful of a combative process or uncomfortable being forced to declare legal “positions” before meaningful discussions have taken place.

A Cultural Shift in Divorce

This new law doesn’t just change a form. It changes the tone.

It recognizes something important: sometimes two people are equally ready to end their marriage — and they should be able to do so without pretending they are opponents.

For professionals who value collaborative practice and consensual resolution, this development represents a meaningful step toward aligning the law with the lived reality of many families.

California is finally providing a legal path that supports cooperation from the very beginning.

And that is a significant change.

If you want to learn more about the Joint Petition process, call The Law Collaborative for a free consultation at 818-348-6700.

Posted in Divorce, Joint Petition and tagged , ,