Our new Joint Petition Project is slated to launch in summer 2026. California Senate Bill 1427: Joint petition for dissolution of marriage became law on January 1, enabling separating spouses to avoid the adversarial framework of a traditional divorce and instead choose to amicably end their marriage through a joint petition process. Via alternative dispute resolution (ADR), the parties in a joint petition come to agreements about child custody, financial support, and division of assets and debts rather than battling things out in court.

In partnership with the bill’s co-authors, our Joint Petition Project will jointly guide separating couples through the stages of the joint divorce petition process. LevittQuinn staff will give legal guidance and prepare paperwork. Parents who opt in will receive warm referrals to longtime community partners for co-parenting education, resources, and referrals. Experienced family law mediation volunteers will provide up to three hours of mediation. We are excited about what this law and our project will mean for Californians and their families. Parental separation is never easy for children, and the litigated framework of divorce does nothing to encourage harmony. Our project will give separated couples the education and support they need to amicably end their marriages and determine together what the future will look like for them and their children.