(a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), a judgment of dissolution of marriage may not be entered unless one of the parties to the marriage has been a resident of this state for six months and of the county in which the proceeding is filed for three months next preceding the filing of the petition.

(b) (1) A judgment for dissolution, nullity, or legal separation of a marriage between persons of the same sex may be entered, even if neither spouse is a resident of, or maintains a domicile in, this state at the time the proceedings are filed, if the following apply:

Ask a divorce law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified divorce lawyers.
Specialties include: Family Law, Custody, Divorce, Child Support, Child Protection, Alimony, and more.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In California Family Code 2320

  • County: includes city and county. See California Family Code 67
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Proceeding: includes an action. See California Family Code 110
  • Spouse: includes "registered domestic partner" as required by Section 297. See California Family Code 143
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a commonwealth, territory, or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See California Family Code 145

(A) The marriage was entered in California.

(B) Neither party to the marriage resides in a jurisdiction that will dissolve the marriage. If the jurisdiction does not recognize the marriage, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the jurisdiction will not dissolve the marriage.

(2) For the purposes of this subdivision, the superior court in the county where the marriage was entered shall be the proper court for the proceeding. The dissolution, nullity, or legal separation shall be adjudicated in accordance with California law.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 721, Sec. 4. (SB 651) Effective January 1, 2012.)