I have several friends who have attempted to go the route of no lawyer. For one person, it worked, because they had no shared assets, no debt, and no kids. So there was nothing much to argue over. I think she went to "We the People" or somewhere.
However, for a few other friends, everything started off amicable, and then everything ran off the rails for one reason or another, and everyone had to lawyer up and fight it out.
What I would recommend is this. Make an appointment, just for advice, with a lawyer who specializes in representing women in divorce settlements. Listen to what the lawyer has to say - some advice, you may take. Other advice, you may decide isn't applicable to you. It's worth getting advice from someone who understands how the system works, and what pitfalls there are. At least make sure you know how you want to set things up, what things you need to put in writing, and how to do it, before you begin the process. At that point, you can go ahead and do the do-it-yourself divorce if you want to. A few of my girlfriends who ended up having to get lawyers wish that they had gone into it with good legal advice, before making mistakes and then ultimately having to pay more to fix the mistakes after the fact when things had become so contentious.
ETA: I know that you say that the state of California has a cookie cutter division of assets - BUT ONLY IF YOU ASK FOR YOUR SHARE! I know this to be true, because my husband was married once before me. They had no kids and she moved into the house he already owned. BUT, he had assets that appreciated in value (including the home, some stocks, a trust fund, and his 401K) during the marriage. By law, she would have been entitled to half of the increased value of all of those. However, she never asked, so the state gave her nothing. So please don't assume the divorce judge will just give you whatever you're owed. You have to know your rights and ask for what you want, or you won't get it. Whatever your husband may be saying, it's likely he's had a consultation with an attorney already. Do the same for yourself, please.