Keep It Simple Divorce, a Santa Monica family law practice, is highlighting California Assembly Bill 1875, which will allow a court, beginning January 1, 2027, to reduce or waive the six-month waiting period before a dissolution of marriage becomes final. The bill was approved on September 27, 2026, and takes effect January 1, 2027, according to published reports.
AB 1875, by Assemblymember Gregg Hart, was chaptered as Chapter 556 of the Statutes of 2026, according to the chaptered bill summary. The bill amends Family Code sections 2339 and 2403.
Under existing law, no judgment of dissolution is final for the purpose of terminating the marriage until six months have expired from the date of service of the summons and petition or the date of the respondent’s appearance, whichever occurs first, and a court may extend that period for good cause. For a summary dissolution, the court enters judgment when six months have expired from the filing of the joint petition, unless it is revoked.
Beginning January 1, 2027, AB 1875 will authorize the court to extend, reduce, or waive the six-month period for good cause shown, provided that the parties have resolved all material issues related to the dissolution. The court must have conducted a noticed hearing to determine good cause, or both parties must have stipulated that good cause exists and the court must find that it does.
The bill states that good cause includes, but is not limited to, three circumstances. They are a court finding that the petitioning party was the victim of domestic violence during the marriage and requests a waiver or reduction for health, safety, and well-being; the parties’ signing and filing of a marital settlement agreement resolving all material issues; and one party’s wish to remarry where a waiver or reduction will not affect any issues material to the dissolution that the court has bifurcated under Family Code section 2337.
For summary dissolution, amended Section 2403 will provide, effective January 1, 2027, that the court may reduce or waive the six-month period for good cause shown. The statute makes any reduction or waiver discretionary, not automatic. A signed marital settlement agreement is one example of good cause, but the statute does not make it sufficient by itself.
According to the Assembly’s analysis of the Senate amendments, the waiting period was originally meant to give parties an opportunity to reconcile. The analysis says the author described the bill as protecting survivors of domestic violence who may remain legally tied to an abuser, and it lists no opposition on file.
Keep It Simple Divorce, led by attorney Hong Nguyen, focuses on couples who have already reached a general agreement on property, support, and custody and want help preparing the documents to finalize an uncontested divorce, a default divorce, or a dissolution of domestic partnership. The firm states that it guides couples through minor issues that may arise within the scope of their general agreement.
The legal information in this release is based on the chaptered text of AB 1875 and the Assembly’s analysis of the Senate amendments. It is presented for general public awareness and is not legal advice. Whether a court will reduce or waive the waiting period in a particular case depends on the facts and the court’s findings.
Keep It Simple Divorce is located in Santa Monica and serves clients in Los Angeles County and Orange County.
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For more information about Keep It Simple Divorce, contact the company here:
Keep It Simple Divorce
Hong Nguyen
+13108579908
hong@keepitsimpledivorce.com
2450 Colorado Ave #100e, Santa Monica, CA 90404, United States
