A new state law will shorten the time victims of domestic violence have to wait before they divorce their abuser.
Assemblyman Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara, announced Assembly Bill 1875, which will speed up the process for a judge to grant divorce in cases of domestic violence.
“For many survivors, remaining legally tied to an abusive spouse can prolong the fear, uncertainty and the feeling of being trapped in an unsafe marriage,” said Laura Piña, a Santa Barbara mother who inspired the bill authored by Hart.
Piña, a survivor of domestic violence, wanted out of her relationship with her husband in 2024. A California law, however, mandated a six-month waiting period for divorce, keeping her legally tied to him.
Hart announced the bill outside the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office alongside Piña, District Attorney John Savrnoch, Domestic Violence Solutions Executive Director Ken Oplinger and Moms Demand Action Santa Barbara leaders Jenny Schatzle and Kirsten Baillie.
“The six-month divorce waiting period was historically designed to be a cooling off period for couples who are making the difficult decision to get a divorce,” Hart said. “Today, we know that this is absolutely inappropriate for relationships involving domestic violence.”
Last fall, Piña reached out to Hart’s office to share her story in hopes that others facing domestic violence could avoid the waiting period for getting a divorce.
Piña had filed a divorce weeks before she was abused.
On July 9, 2024, Piña had endured serious injuries from gun shots allegedly fired by her husband at the time, and was being held on life support at the hospital.
Piña’s daughter Anyssa Llamas got the call that her mother was in critical condition.
“We thought we were going to lose her,” Anyssa said.
Piña survived, and lived to tell her story to Hart’s team a year later.
The bill was authored by Hart and co-authored by 13 other assembly members. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill on Sept. 27 after it passed unanimously in the California State Senate.
Since Jan. 1, a total of 556 domestic violence cases in Santa Barbara County have been filed to the District Attorney’s Office.
“It’s a courageous and oftentimes very difficult decision for somebody to leave an abusive relationship,” District Attorney Savrnoch said. “That’s a decision that should not be impeded in any way by state law.”
California has one of the longest divorce waiting periods in the country. In Texas, the wait period is 60 days and a judge can expedite the process when domestic violence is involved, according to a press release from Hart’s office.
Assembly Bill 1875 will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
