Your California divorce,
on a calendar.

Six-month waiting period. Under Family Code §2339, a California divorce cannot end the marriage until six months have passed from the date the respondent was served with the summons and petition, or the date the respondent appeared in the case, whichever happened first. Courts set the end of marital status no earlier than the day after the six months run. Where a month has no matching day, the period ends on the last day of that month (served August 31, six months run on the last day of February). The court can extend the period for good cause; nothing shortens it. The divorce also needs a judgment, so a case that is still open after six months continues. In a joint petition for dissolution (form FL-700), which both spouses file together, the six months run from the filing date instead; this calculator does not cover that case.

30 days to respond. The summons (FL-110) gives the respondent 30 calendar days after service to file a Response (FL-120). Personal service is complete when the papers are handed over, a Notice and Acknowledgment of Receipt (FL-117) when it is signed, and substituted service on the tenth day after the copy is mailed. If the last day is a weekend or court holiday, it moves to the next court day. This calculator moves weekends but does not know court holidays.

Residency. Under Family Code §2320, one spouse must have lived in California for six months and in the county where the case is filed for three months immediately before the petition for dissolution is filed. Legal separation has no such waiting time, and a petition for legal separation can later be amended to ask for a divorce once residency is met (Family Code §2321).