What happens after the Petition and Response are served?
The parties then exchange documents called “Declarations of Disclosure.” These Declarations include complete lists of property owned by each party, both community and separate property, and an accounting of the parties’ incomes. Frequently, additional information is needed after the Declarations of Disclosure are exchanged. This information is requested in a process called “Discovery.” During Discovery, the parties have the opportunity to request from each other documentation concerning the assets and debts of the parties to determine how the property should be divided in the dissolution. The parties may also obtain more information about income which will assist in determining support. This is particularly true when one spouse runs his or her own business and is not just receiving a simple salary from a third party. In cases where a business is owned in part or in whole by one spouse, it is frequently necessary to employ an expert either jointly or by each party to determine income av
