How to Avoid Family Law Pitfalls

Patti Johnson • August 13, 2025

Man signing a document, while woman removes wedding ring.

Filing paperwork with the Kern County Family Law Court can be a daunting process, especially for those unfamiliar with the intricate rules and procedures that govern family

law cases. Whether you’re seeking a divorce, custody arrangement, support modification, or any other family law relief, avoiding rejections is crucial in ensuring your case progresses with minimal delays.

Understanding Court Processing

Before diving into specific avoidance strategies, it’s important to understand why the court may reject documents. A rejection signifies that your paperwork was not accepted for filing due to errors, omissions, or noncompliance with local or state rules. Common reasons for rejections include incorrect forms, incomplete information, improper formatting, missing signatures, nonpayment of fees, and failure to provide necessary attachments. The Court Clerks have good intentions, but I can't tell you how many countless cases I have become involved in where the consumer was completely misdirected about what to do next. In many cases, it cost the person money that could have been avoided. I see this repeatedly.

Real Life Example in Divorce. The Clerk telling a Respondent the next step is to file a Response to the Petition, which also incurs a filing fee or first appearance fee. The Clerk is

probably not aware you are NOT contesting the case and therefore no response is needed. If you agree with the information contained in the Petition, by filing a Response you block the opportunity to allow the matter to proceed as a default. Now you have created a bigger mess that needs to be addressed.

In the Clerk's defense. The Clerk's job is not to inquire whether or not you agree with your spouse or ask a series of questions to better inform you, just simply pass you a packet of information to respond to your divorce. The Clerks are overwhelmed and do not have time to listen to your "story" or get the details of your particular situation.

Personal Story. When I was new to law many years ago and working for an attorney, I was very worried about making a mistake and had a mental block that was holding me back. My attorney told me not to worry so much about making a mistake because there was always a way to correct or fix it with the Court, it just takes a lot more time and effort. The point of my story is that the more you play in the court attempting to do your own divorce, it makes fixing your mistakes much more time-consuming and complicated than just doing it right from the start. I encourage you to call me before you attempt to do your own divorce. It is my humble opinion that most people cannot successfully complete their own divorce. Most people can do the first step but fail on the rest. Ask yourself a simple question . . . could a person with no prior training or experience do your job? Most of the time common sense will tell you NO!

Don't take my word for it . . . ask the Clerk for ALL THE PACKETS that are required to complete an uncontested divorce, that in itself should be enough to discourage anyone. I

will even give you a big tip should you still wish to file yourself . . . in a default case, whatever you file on the Petition must be an exact match on the remainder of the divorce

documents through final judgment. No changes at all or you will get a rejection. All the wording must match, exactly. All captions on all the documents must match exactly. If you use a middle name in the initial filing, you must do the same in all subsequent filings. It is not your fault if you find this process difficult. The Court leads people to believe it is a simple step-by-step process. Just fill out a packet and check boxes, how easy is that? But that is only the beginning of the courthouse nightmare. Even if you do successfully complete the first packet, many times, although filed, there are errors or changes you want to make or need to be addressed after the fact. That is the beginning of another problem to fix, and the list goes on.

Conclusion

Avoiding rejections in Kern County Family Law Court is both an art and a science, requiring attention to detail, careful preparation, and a thorough understanding of local court requirements.

Divorce City 911 is a legal document preparation company, registered and bonded in the County of Kern. With 20 years of experience and training, you should start by calling an

expert. There is no cost to make the call. One call can save you countless hours running back and forth to the courthouse. Ask yourself, how much is my time worth?

Disclaimer: Divorce City 911 are not attorneys and is a legal document service that is owned and operated by Patti Johnson, registered in Kern County, California LDA #105. The contents contained in this blog are the opinions of the author and should not be construed as legal advice. Anyone seeking legal advice must consult with an attorney licensed by the State of California.

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