Uncontested divorce checklist: everything to gather and do

If you and your spouse agree on the terms, most of a divorce is organization. Here's the whole job as one checklist.

Before you file

• Confirm residency: check your state's requirement (our state pages list every state's rule).
• Gather identity basics: full legal names, dates of birth, date and place of marriage, date of separation.
• List everything you own and owe: bank accounts, retirement, vehicles, real estate, credit cards, loans — with rough values and whether each came before or during the marriage.
• Collect income proof: recent pay stubs, last year's tax return, self-employment records.
• If you have kids: their birth dates, current schedule, school and insurance details.

Decisions to agree on (write them down)

• Who gets which property and who pays which debts.
• Whether either spouse pays support to the other, how much, and for how long.
• For kids: the residential schedule, holidays, decision-making, child support, health insurance, and who claims tax benefits.
• Name change: does either spouse want a former name restored?

The paperwork

• The petition (or joint petition where your state offers one).
• The financial disclosure each spouse must usually exchange or file.
• The settlement agreement putting your decisions in writing.
• A parenting plan and child-support worksheet if you have children.
• Your state's specific local forms — always check the court's own list.

Filing and finishing

• File, pay the fee (or request a fee waiver), and get your case number.
• Serve your spouse or file their signed waiver/acceptance of service.
• Complete any required parenting class (some states require one with kids).
• Wait out your state's waiting period, then submit final paperwork or attend the short final hearing.
• Get certified copies of the decree — you'll want them for names, titles, and accounts.

Every item above is something CaseForward's guided interviews either produce or walk you through — and the previews are free, so you can see your documents before paying anything.