How to Prepare for a Divorce Options Workshop

Preparation should make the workshop easier to use—not become a new project. Start with what is already on your mind.

You do not need to bring your case file

Divorce Options® is a group education program, not a private consultation. You are not expected to bring tax returns, bank statements, pleadings, or a complete inventory of property and debt. Those materials may be important later, but presenters cannot review them for you during the workshop.

A notebook, your calendar, and a short list of general questions are enough. If you have already received court papers, keep track of every date and deadline and obtain individual procedural or legal help as needed.

Four small steps

Prepare just enough to recognize what matters

1. 01

   Write down what brought you here

   A sentence is enough: “I am considering separation,” “I received papers,” or “We need a way to make decisions.” This gives you a starting point without asking you to solve the whole problem.

2. 02

   Separate urgent issues from important questions

   Note any immediate safety concern, court date, deadline, housing issue, threatened financial action, insurance problem, or child-related concern. Those matters may require individual help beyond the workshop.

3. 03

   Choose three questions you would like answered

   Ask general questions about the process, professional roles, or what different kinds of support provide. Save confidential facts and case-specific advice for a private conversation with the appropriate professional.

4. 04

   Make room to listen and take notes

   The workshop connects legal, financial, and family perspectives. A quiet setting, reliable internet, and a few pages for notes are more useful than a box of documents.

Question prompts

Use questions that help you understand the map

• What are the broad stages of a California divorce?
• Which decisions usually need legal, financial, or child-development information?
• What roles do attorneys, mediators, financial professionals, and mental-health professionals play?
• How do self-management, traditional representation, mediation, and collaborative divorce organize support differently?
• What signs suggest that a general educational program is not enough and individual help is needed?

For a fuller overview before the program, read what happens at a Divorce Options workshop.

Protect your privacy

Keep personal details out of the group setting

General questions are welcome, but a workshop is not the place to disclose account numbers, children’s names, detailed allegations, settlement proposals, or confidential communications. A useful general question is “What does a neutral financial professional do?” A case-specific question such as “What should happen to this particular account?” needs a private professional conversation.

When not to wait

Some concerns need timely individual attention

The Sacramento Family Law Self-Help Center provides procedural information and form assistance for people with cases in or who reside in Sacramento County. Its staff does not provide legal advice or representation.