Judgement, DIY

Here is my situation: I was engaged and had a child with my daughters mother in 2019. The engagement was called off and we separated so we never married. After we separated, we agreed to co-parent but slowly, she started doing things without discussing them with me such as claiming her for tax purposes, claiming she has her 60% of the time, etc.

Timeline

1. 2022-12-08: Received serving FAMILY LAW CASE COVER SHEET AND CERTIFICATE OF GROUNDS FOR ASSIGNMENT TO DISTRICT. The court is the superior court of California, county of Los Angeles (300 east walnut st, Pasadena, CA 91101
   
2. I sought advice and took this as an opportunity to learn about law and wanted to represent myself. I was informed to visit the self-help office of the court. I was advised to respond to her "wish list", serve by mail, and file with the clerk at the courthouse. After completing my response and filing with the court, I was advised that my options were to wait for a response, request mediation, or request court date.
   
3. 2022-12-27: I finalized my documents for the response (forms FL-105/GC-120, FL-311, FL-220, FL-270, FL-341(E), FL-341(D), etc.. I made 2 copies, mailed one copy to the petitioner's lawyer, and another copy to the petitioner's home address, and filed with clerk at Pasadena. My form was stamped and I assumed "filed". I was informed by the self-help staff that I had until 2023-01-08 to respond so I was glad to have responded early.
   
4. 2023-01-19 I received a mailed letter for a REQUEST TO ENTER DEFAULT. The document dated 2023-01-11
5. 2023-01-20: I received a NOTICE OF ENTRY OF JUDGMENT, and a JUDGMENT via email.

Here are my questions

1. Seems the lawyer did not get my response. Is that possible? I asked my x if she received it and she said yes. Shouldn't there be a follow up, mediation, or court hearing? It seems as if my response was ignored.
   
2. What is my recourse for the judgement? I've heard about appeals...
3. Is it too late to do mediation? Mediation is what I was hoping for.

I feel that I have a pretty good case against her.

 

No, I did not mail the forms personally. I had a friend mail it from her home mailing address and she sent it out.

FL-335 PROOF OF SERVICE BY MAIL was included in both copies in my response and I think the clerk stamped a 3rd copy I had. I will double check when I get home later.

 

Thanks for this info. I do regret doing the service by mail and should have had someone personally serve.

 

Where can I find this information?

I would try to argue that I have adjusted my work schedule to spend more time with the child and she is unable to spend time with her during her normal office working hours, 9-5 M-F.

 

I was engaged and had a child with my daughters mother in 2019. The engagement was called off and we separated so we never married. After we separated, we agreed to co-parent but slowly, she started doing things without discussing them with me such as claiming her for tax purposes

I was present during her birth and I think we signed a birth certificate. We were together for about 1 year before the engagement was called off. I made this 3 page document for co parenting from a template I found online and she revised it 3 or 4 times. We have a final draft but it was never signed. It covers custody, visitation, regular time share periods, holidays/special days, vacation/travel, transportation/exchanges, telephone / audio-video communication guidelines, provisions, restraints on conduct.

 

Correct. Last night, I received a hard copy of the "NOTICE OF ENTRY OF JUDGEMENT" and a "SUBSTITUION OF ATTORNEY" which I received last week via email. It looks like she's representing herself? But no JUDGEMENT copy? Will a copy of it arrive this week?

I visited 2 self-help offices. One in Orange County and the other in Los Angeles where the case is. The Orange County self-help person informed me. I know it's a different jurisdiction, but how different can it be?

Actually, I the person behind the window at the clerks office took the form and stamped it.

Form FL-165 https://dev.greenfiling.com/cadoc/data/CA-forms-unlocked/fl165.pdf I received it from her attorney or lawyer.

From a paralegal form the petitioner's law office. There were 2 pdf documents: FL-190 and FL-250. "Was there a judgment attached to the notice of entry?" It's form FL-250 https://www.courts.ca.gov/documents/fl250.pdf and it's 17 pages which includes FL-250, FL-235, FL-341, FL-341(C), FL-341(D), FL-341(E), FL-342, FL-192 - a bunch of things from the orignal serving papers.

I did not call. I should have.

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Yes, seems like it was very quick and I was a shocked. Is there a typical time frame when a judgement is made? On form FL-250, #1 is blank and #2 says "dfault or uncontested". I will be pursing the "motion to vacate the judgment" and am in talks with a paralegal that handles legal paper work filings.

Thank you for your info!

 

Thank you so much for the information zddoodah. Just a couple more questions

1. Is it ok to talk to the attorney or lawyer even after the ""SUBSTITUTION OF ATTORNEY". Seems like after the judgement, the contract with the petitioner is over and the lawyer is done with the case. Is that right?
2. Can I contact the attorney and get that "motion to vacate the judgment" process going at the same time?
3. I just received a text from her this morning about the schedule she proposed. She says she's "ok with [her schedule]" and I replied "I'm not ok...". Do I need to follow the schedule now? I don't feel like I need to do anything.

 

On it! Are there any forms I need or certain words to say?

 

The few times I've been there they seem to be stuck on insisting I attend a class instead of answering questions.

 

Before the judgement, I had the child Tuesday evenings to Thursday evenings. The exchange was at a halfway point at 7:30 pm just when traffic was tolerable: Orange county to LA, roughly 55 miles apart. This judgement had my visitation down to Wednesdays and Thursdays for 4.5 hours (which is absolutely absurd) and alternating weekends. I stopped myself a few times from responding to her after her texting me that this new schedule is "legally enforceable", and that "both of us have to comply". So now I need to do everything by her residence.