Frequently Asked Questions about Fast Divorce®

Fast Divorce® is a registered and bonded California Legal Document Assistant (LDA) service. We help you prepare, file, coordinate service, and track uncontested divorce paperwork across all California counties. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. You represent yourself in court.

Our process is built for end-to-end procedural execution within LDA scope — not just document preparation. That means: clear intake, court-correct form sequencing, e-filing coordination (where available), clerk tracking, technical cures when a filing is rejected for non-substantive reasons, service coordination within package scope, and judgment routing. Real humans review before anything is submitted.

End-to-end within LDA scope: we prepare forms from your inputs, coordinate e-filing (where available) or in-person filing, coordinate service logistics within your package scope, monitor clerk responses, cure non-substantive technical defects, and route your judgment and Notice of Entry of Judgment when issued by the court.

No. We’re an LDA service. We provide legal information and document preparation/filing support. We do not provide legal advice or represent you in court. If you want legal advice or strategy, consult a licensed California family-law attorney. If you want neutral agreement help, consider a mediator.

Worth it depends on what you’re comparing us to.Some services stop at document prep. Fast Divorce® is designed to help move an uncontested case through the real-world process: drafting, filing coordination, service logistics, clerk follow-up, and judgment routing. You’re not paying for hype. You’re paying for less chaos, fewer avoidable mistakes, and a clearer path forward.

If you’re agreement-ready, we help you file. If you’re filing alone, Solo Filer™ keeps the process organized. If you’re not fully agreed, mediation may be the cleaner first step before paperwork starts. That kind of routing can save people time, confusion, and expensive false starts.

A mediator is a neutral professional who helps both spouses talk through decisions and reach a workable agreement. A mediator does not take sides, does not represent either person, and does not give legal advice.

Mediation is often helpful when you want to keep control of your decisions and avoid unnecessary conflict.

It can help you:

• Clarify what you both want (kids, money, housing, timelines)
• Build a parenting plan you can actually live with
• Create a written agreement in plain English
• Reduce back-and-forth and “fight fatigue”

If you want legal advice about your rights or what terms to accept, consult an attorney.

No. Mediation is optional. If you’re already aligned, you may be ready for File Together™ right now. If you’re not aligned yet, mediation can help you get to agreement before paperwork is prepared.

Charlie Silva is the founder of Fast Divorce® and also a neutral divorce mediator through Fresh Start Mediation (a separate entity).

If you choose mediation with Charlie, that mediation engagement is:

• Separate from Fast Divorce®
• Governed by a separate mediation agreement
• Not required to use Fast Divorce® (you may choose any mediator or none)

We keep the roles clear: mediator to help you decide; LDA to help you file; attorney for legal advice when needed.

An attorney can provide legal advice and represent clients in court. A paralegal works under attorney supervision and cannot practice law independently. An LDA (like Fast Divorce®) provides document preparation and filing support within LDA scope, without legal advice or representation. You self-represent.

Statewide. We support uncontested matters across all California counties, including county-specific cover sheets and local filing practices.

We support these uncontested paths:

• Agreed divorces where both spouses cooperate (File Together™)
• One-party/default-style procedural paths when a spouse won’t participate (Solo Filer™)
• Response-only support when you’ve been served (Response Assist™)
• Already-filed cases that are stuck, rejected, or incomplete (Rescue Review™)

If a case is actively contested or heading to litigation, an attorney is the right lane for advice and representation.

We do not provide contested litigation, discovery, or court hearings as counsel. If your case is contested or you want representation, consult a licensed California family-law attorney.

Only you can decide what support you want. Many uncontested matters can be completed without attorney representation. If you want legal advice, strategy, or representation, consult an attorney. If you want neutral agreement help, consider a mediator. If you want paperwork prepared and filed under your direction, an LDA is the right lane.

File Together™ (agreed):

• Express — $1,250 + upfront filing costs
• Diamond — $2,250 + upfront filing costs
• VIP — $4,498 all-in (includes opening court fee + first judgment EFSP/admin + 2 certified judgments; optional Confidential Divorce™ handling where permitted)

Solo Filer™ (default/one-party):

• Simple — $1,895 + upfront filing costs
• Complete — $2,495 + upfront filing costs
• Elite — $4,500 all-in (includes opening court fee + first judgment EFSP/admin; newspaper notice/posting vendor fees are pass-through)

Response Assist™ — $1,295 + upfront filing costs (optional 48-Hour Rush +$395)

Rescue Review™ — $295 (credit $200 toward a package if purchased within 14 days; see your Statement of Work (SOW) for terms)

A Statement of Work (SOW) is the short agreement you sign that confirms the package/path you selected, your service fee, and any add-ons or payment plan for your case. It is part of your client agreement stack, along with the Notice to Consumer (LDA) and the Master Services Agreement (MSA).

Upfront filing costs are pass-through third-party costs paid to the court and the e-filing platform (EFSP) when e-filing is used. A typical opening total is about $570 (often a court first-paper fee around $435 plus EFSP/admin around $135). These amounts vary by county and can change. VIP and Elite include opening + first-judgment EFSP/admin in the package price.

Third-party/vendor charges (for example: newspaper notice/posting fees, extra certified copies, private judge, courier, skip-trace, domestic/international process servers, translators, foreign government fees), unless your package explicitly includes them. Court fee waivers remove only court fees; EFSP/admin still apply.

Courts offer fee waiver applications for people who qualify. A fee waiver can remove court fees if approved by the court. Fee waivers generally do not remove EFSP/admin fees when e-filing is used. Courts decide whether a fee waiver is approved.

Payment plans are available on select packages. Judgment preparation/submission does not begin until the account shows a $0.00 balance for service fees, plan payments, add-ons, and required pass-through costs (as described in your Statement of Work (SOW) and Master Services Agreement (MSA)).

Courts and judges control timing. California’s six-month statutory minimum to final marital status applies (the start date depends on the filing path and court rules). Many uncontested cases finalize shortly once documents are accepted, but court processing time varies by county and workload.

We do not promise approval or timelines. Our internal preparation can be fast once intake is complete and drafts are approved, but courts and judges control acceptance, processing time, and outcomes, and the six-month statutory minimum applies.

Yes. You can book a call and review options. Paid work begins only after your Notice to Consumer and Statement of Work (SOW) are signed, required payments/deposits are made, and onboarding is completed.

Yes. Solo Filer™ moves the case toward a default-style procedural path when a spouse does not participate. We handle preparation, filing, service coordination within your package scope, and judgment routing. Courts control outcomes.

If personal or substitute service is not possible and the court allows it, Solo Filer™ Elite can include preparation of the request and coordination for court-ordered newspaper notice or posting, plus filing of proofs. Vendor fees for newspaper notice/posting are pass-through costs and must be paid separately.

Identity/contact info; marriage details; children info (if any); an overview of assets/debts; your decisions on support/property; prior filings (if any); and IDs for e-sign. You’re responsible for full and honest disclosures.

We provide captioned blank disclosure forms (most tiers) and file your proofs after you complete and serve them. In File Together™ VIP, we can complete both spouses’ disclosure forms from your answers (up to one revision, per package limits). You control the content and remain responsible for accuracy.

Support options are tier-dependent:

• File Together™ Diamond: child support can be added via a Support Orders Add-On.
• File Together™ VIP: child support is included; spousal support paperwork is available if you elect it.
• Solo Filer™ Elite: support-request paperwork (for example, FL-300) is available if you elect it in writing (as described in your client agreement).

If guideline tools are used to format numbers you provide (for example, DissoMaster/Xspouse), that output is informational only. It is not legal advice and not a prediction of what a court will order.

Package tiers vary in what they cover. For everyday assets/debts (vehicles, bank accounts, unsecured debts), higher tiers can include the standard paperwork within scope. Real property, retirement division (QDRO/DRO), valuations, and tax advice are outside scope unless specifically included in your Statement of Work (SOW). If you want advice about what terms to choose, that’s legal advice and an attorney is the right resource.

Usually not for uncontested or default matters. Some counties and circumstances may require an appearance. Courts control whether appearances are required. If an appearance is required, we can share procedural information about what the court is requesting and what paperwork is needed within your package scope.

Your secure Client Portal (official delivery once access is granted) shows drafts, approvals, messages, invoices/receipts, filings, and final documents. Email/SMS are supplemental.

We use a secure Client Portal for document delivery and approvals once access is granted. Please do not send full Social Security numbers, full card numbers, bank credentials, or medical records by email or SMS.

Court records in California are generally public unless a judge orders otherwise. Where legally permitted, File Together™ VIP may offer a privacy-forward option that can reduce sensitive detail in public filings. We cannot guarantee sealed records; only a court can order that.

Certified copies are issued by the court clerk. We can coordinate certified copy retrieval as an add-on where available, and VIP includes two certified judgments. Court copy fees may apply.

An apostille is a type of certification used when another country’s authority requests proof a U.S. document is authentic. Whether you need one depends on the receiving authority’s requirements.

Some people restore a former name as part of the divorce judgment; others handle it after judgment depending on what the court orders and what agencies require. We can prepare post-judgment name-restore paperwork as an add-on when available. If you need advice about which approach to choose, consult an attorney.

See your Statement of Work (SOW) and Master Services Agreement (MSA). Fees become earned as work is performed and/or after first filings. Pass-through/vendor fees are non-refundable once incurred. If your engagement includes an Immediate Start rescission window, fees for work performed and vendor fees during that window may still be earned.

Tell us right away. We can pause or close the file per the Master Services Agreement (MSA) and your Statement of Work (SOW). Any refunds or credits follow the terms in your agreements.

Book a free 15-minute call or start online. After your Statement of Work (SOW) and intake are complete and initial payments are made, we begin internal preparation and post next steps in your Client Portal.