Write an article based on this "Understand the Respondent's options. Fill out a Response. Fill out a Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) only if you have any minor children with the Petitioner. Fill out a Fee Waiver if you cannot afford to pay the filing fee. Fill out any required local forms. File your forms with the court and have them served on the other party."

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If you have been served with a summons and petition, you are the respondent in a court case for legal separation. The Respondent has several options:  Do nothing. If the Respondent does not file a response within 30 days of being served, then the court will probably grant everything the Petitioner requested in the Petition for Legal Separation, including property division, support, and child custody and visitation. Make a written and notarized agreement. Instead of the Respondent filing a response to the Petition for Legal Separation, the parties can write an agreement, sign it, and have it notarized. The agreement should state that the parties agree to end the marriage or domestic partnership, and specify how the parties would like to divide their property, whether anyone will pay spousal support, and what child support, custody, and visitation orders are needed.The California courts provide more information on these agreements here.   File a response, but also make a written and notarized agreement. If the Respondent files a response to the Petition for Legal Separation, the parties can still agree to resolve the issues and submit a written and notarized agreement. File a response without an agreement. By filing a response, the Respondent demonstrates that he or she disagrees with the requests that the Petitioner made in the Petition for Legal Separation. Any response must be filed within 30 days of the date that the Respondent was served with the Summons and Petition. This form, numbered FL-120, briefly identifies the issues the Respondent wants the court to address, including child custody, child and spousal support, and property division. You can download an FL-120 here. If you need help completing this form, read these instructions provided by the California courts. This form, numbered FL-105, informs the court of where any children are living and whether they are involved in other court cases. You can download an FL-105 here. The process and standards for applying for a fee waiver as a respondent are the same as those used for the petitioner. Some counties require respondents to file additional local forms for a legal separation, which may differ from those required of the petitioner. Check with your Family Law Facilitator or your county court’s website. You can locate your county court’s website by selecting your county on the California court’s Find My Court webpage. If you are applying for a Fee Waiver, do not serve it on the other party.