What counts as an uncontested divorce
A divorce is uncontested when neither spouse is asking a judge to settle anything. You've agreed on how to divide what you own and owe, and if you have children, you've agreed on where they live, who decides what, and how support works. The court's job shrinks to reviewing your paperwork and making your agreement official.
That's why uncontested cases are faster and dramatically cheaper. There are no depositions, no discovery, and usually no lawyers. Around nine in ten American divorces finish this way, even ones that started out tense.
Who online divorce is right for
Online divorce fits couples who can still make decisions together, even uncomfortable ones. If you can sit at a kitchen table, or exchange civil texts, and settle who keeps the car and how weekends with the kids work, you're likely a fit.
It is the wrong tool when there's domestic violence, hidden money, a spouse you can't locate, or a genuine dispute about children or property. Those cases need a licensed attorney, and our eligibility check will tell you so instead of taking your money.
Grounds and no-fault filings
Every state now allows no-fault divorce. You state that the marriage is beyond repair, using your state's phrase for it, and nobody has to prove cheating, cruelty, or abandonment.
Filing no-fault keeps the paperwork short and the temperature low. It also means a reluctant spouse can't block the divorce by refusing to admit the marriage is over. The court needs your agreement on the terms, not on the diagnosis.
Residency: which state can hear your case
You can't file just anywhere. Most states require that you or your spouse lived there for a set stretch before filing, anywhere from six weeks to a year, and some counties add their own shorter requirement.
This matters because the state you file in supplies the rules for everything else: forms, fees, waiting periods, and how property is treated. Our interview checks your residency first so you never fill out forms for the wrong court.
The paperwork, piece by piece
The lead document is a petition (some states call it a complaint) that opens the case. Around it sit a summons, a marital settlement agreement recording your decisions, financial disclosure forms, a parenting plan and support worksheets when children are involved, and a proposed final decree for the judge to sign.
Counties are particular about versions, copies, and order. This is the single biggest reason packets bounce. Answering one guided interview and receiving the exact set your clerk expects, already assembled, is most of what you're paying an online service to do.
Splitting what you own and owe
Marital property usually means what either of you acquired during the marriage: the house, vehicles, accounts, retirement earned along the way, and the debts that came with them. Most states divide it equitably, which means fairly in light of your circumstances, not automatically fifty-fifty.
In an uncontested case, you two decide the split and write it down precisely. Vague agreements cause problems years later; a clear settlement agreement that names who keeps each asset and who pays each debt becomes an enforceable court order.
Parenting plans and child support
With minor children, your paperwork covers legal custody (who makes major decisions), physical custody (where the kids live), a concrete parenting schedule, and child support. Judges review all of it against one standard: the best interests of the child.
Support is rarely a negotiation. Nearly every state calculates it from a formula built on incomes and parenting time. The interview applies your state's guideline so the number in your paperwork is the number the judge expects to see.
Filing day at the courthouse
When your documents are complete and signed, they go to the clerk of court in the right county, along with the filing fee. A growing number of counties accept e-filing from home; the rest want paper, in person or by mail.
Your filing checklist covers the practical details nobody warns you about: how many copies, which documents need notarizing, what the fee is at your court, and how to apply for a fee waiver if paying it would be a hardship.
Serving your spouse without drama
Courts require formal proof that your spouse knows the case exists. In a genuinely uncontested divorce, the easy path is a waiver or acceptance of service: your spouse signs one page acknowledging the filing, and service is done.
If a signature isn't practical, you can serve through a sheriff, a private process server, or certified mail, depending on what your state permits. The walkthrough tells you which options your court accepts and what proof to file afterward.
The waiting period and your decree
Most states build in a pause between filing and finalizing, from no wait at all to six months. Nothing is wrong when weeks pass quietly; the file is simply working through the queue while your state's clock runs.
At the end, a judge reviews the packet and signs your decree. Plenty of courts finalize uncontested cases entirely on paper. Where a short hearing is required, it's typically a few standard questions, answered under oath, in under ten minutes.
Life admin after the decree
The signed decree is your proof for everything that comes next: restoring a name, retitling the car, refinancing or transferring the house, updating beneficiaries, and closing joint accounts. Order several certified copies; agencies rarely accept photocopies.
If your decree includes transfers or support, act on them promptly while everything is fresh. Then update your will and your emergency contacts, and let the paperwork chapter of this be over.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and laws vary by state. If your situation is complex, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
