My Divorce Kit is a state-by-state divorce reference: pick your state for residency rules, filing fees, waiting periods, custody, and property division. Educational content only—not legal advice.
Navigating Divorce with Clarity
Authoritative state-specific laws, mandatory requirements, fees, and filing checklists to help you guide your family through the legal process.
Select Your State to Begin
Divorce Timeline & Cost Estimator
Input your details to estimate local requirements and filing steps.
Your Estimated Divorce Profile
Divorce Guides & Resources
Read our comprehensive breakdowns on custody, assets, alimony, and filing definitions.
Contested vs Uncontested Divorce
Understand the core differences, the financial impact, and which path makes sense for your situation.
Alimony & Spousal Support Basics
Learn how courts determine alimony, calculations, standard durations, and what factors matter most.
Child Custody Basics
Explore the critical concepts of legal vs. physical custody, parenting schedules, and the child's best interest standard.
How to use this divorce kit
Start with your state page. Confirm residency requirements, the typical cooling-off or waiting period, and whether your state follows community property or equitable distribution concepts. Then open the process guides: contested vs uncontested, custody vocabulary, alimony basics, and property division. Treat every page as a briefing document for your attorney or mediator—not a substitute for one.
Core documents most people organize early
- Petition / complaint for dissolution — the filing that opens the case
- Financial affidavit or inventory — income, expenses, assets, and debts under oath
- Parenting plan — decision-making (legal custody) and schedule (physical custody / parenting time)
- Mandatory disclosure checklist — pay stubs, tax returns, account statements, insurance, retirement summaries
- Marital settlement agreement — written terms when the case is uncontested or settles
- UCCJEA affidavit — child residency history when minors are involved
Exact form numbers and e-filing portals differ by state and sometimes by county. Always download forms from your court's official self-help site when available.
Uncontested vs contested (plain language)
Uncontested means you and your spouse can agree on the material terms: parenting, support, and property. Courts still require proper paperwork, disclosures, and waiting periods, but the path is usually faster and less expensive. Contested means one or more issues require negotiation, mediation, discovery, or hearings. Contested cases often need counsel even if you began researching on your own.
Money, safety, and professional boundaries
This site may display ads and affiliate links to keep guides free. Optional tips support maintenance. None of that creates an attorney-client relationship. If safety is a concern, prioritize local emergency resources before paperwork. If your case involves complex assets, businesses, immigration status, or protective orders, speak with a licensed professional promptly.
Checklist mindset before you file
Before you upload anything to an e-filing portal, gather identity documents, a draft budget, last two years of tax returns if available, recent pay stubs, mortgage or lease information, retirement account statements, and a list of debts. If children are involved, write a proposed weekly schedule that covers school nights, weekends, holidays, transportation, and decision-making for medical and education choices. Courts care about workable plans more than slogans. When spouses can exchange disclosures early, uncontested paths stay realistic; when financial opacity remains, expect formal discovery.
My Divorce Kit will not file for you and will not predict a judge's order. What we provide is orientation: the vocabulary clerks and attorneys use, the documents most form suites expect, and the state-level rules that change the timeline. Use the estimator above as a directional tool, then verify fee schedules with your clerk because surcharges and local add-ons change.
Related guides
FAQ · Property Division · Custody Basics · Alimony Basics · About & Editorial Standards