Sacramento’s New One-Day Divorce Program

On this episode of Lawyer2Lawyer, Bob Ambrogi and Craig Williams invite California Judge James Mize to discuss his first-of-its-kind idea to address the heavy congestion of divorce cases in Sacramento’s family court: The One-Day Divorce Program. This allows couples, who meet the specified requirements, to participate in an expedited divorce process that finalizes the separation in just one day. This program aims to serve couples who can’t afford a divorce lawyer. According to Judge Mize, 72% of family law litigants in California don’t have representation. Judge Mize began his career with an undergraduate degree in psychology, followed by graduate work at the School of Social Welfare where he earned his Master of Social Work. He found his work in social issues to be a defining part of his 26 years working as an attorney, and his current work on the bench. He has served as the presiding judge of the Sacramento Superior Court and is currently the supervising judge of Sacramento’s Family Court. Judge Mize is best known for his civil reform efforts which have garnered him several honors including the California Judge Association’s Alba Witkin Humanitarian Award and Sacramento County Bar Association’s Judge of the Year Award. Tune into to hear about the inner workings of the new one-day divorce program, who qualifies, how it’s run, and more.