Home California Uncontested Divorce Kit
2026 edition • Built on the Family Code & the current Judicial Council formsCalifornia Uncontested Divorce Kit
The right FL-series forms for your route — the regular process, or the new 2026 joint petition — plus a roadmap to end your marriage without a lawyer.
- Route-matched forms — regular Petition/Summons or the new 2026 joint petition
- Step-by-step Superior Court filing instructions
- Free eligibility check before you pay anything
- Instant PDF download — $129 one-time, no subscription
Takes 2 minutes to check · no commitment
“Affordable, and it flagged that our county’s filing fee was a bit different from the statewide number I’d seen online — glad I called the clerk before showing up.”
Daniel E. · Long Beach, California
Is this kit right for you?
Not every divorce in California can be done DIY. Check below to see if you qualify for an uncontested dissolution.
Use this kit if…
- ✓ You and your spouse agree on all issues (custody, property, support).
- ✓ One of you has lived in California for 6 months and your county for 3 months (a few exceptions apply — see below).
- ✓ You’re willing to exchange the required financial disclosures with your spouse.
- ✓ You agree on dividing community property and debts.
Talk to a lawyer first if…
- ✗ There is domestic violence or you fear for your safety.
- ✗ You disagree on custody, parenting time, or support amounts.
- ✗ Your spouse is hiding assets or refuses to share financial information.
- ✗ There are complex issues — business ownership, pensions or retirement accounts needing division, real property, bankruptcy, immigration status, military deployment, or a child-custody question involving another state.
Residency exception: some same-sex couples married in California but living in a state that won’t grant them a divorce can still file here even without meeting the standard residency rule, and registered domestic partnerships have their own filing rules. If either applies to you, confirm your specific situation before filing.
Which route is yours?
California now has more than one path to an agreed divorce. Picking the wrong one — or assuming one route finishes the job by itself — is a common reason self-filed paperwork gets sent back.
If you agree the marriage is over, you don’t need a battle — you need the right paperwork. Navigating the Superior Court’s rules, the mandatory financial disclosures, and the six-month minimum can be overwhelming on your own.
Route-matched Petition, Summons & disclosure forms • Judgment packet & instructions • step-by-step Superior Court filing guidance
Regular route
FL-100, FL-110, FL-115, FL-120
One spouse files the Petition (FL-100) and Summons (FL-110), then serves the other spouse (personally, or by mail only if they’re willing to sign a receipt). The Proof of Service must be filed before the case moves forward.
This is the path for couples who reach agreement after one spouse has already filed, or who simply prefer the traditional process.
Joint petition (new, 2026)
FL-700, FL-710, FL-105 if there are minor children
Both spouses file together — no service between you. It’s a calmer start, but it doesn’t finish the divorce: you still need disclosures, a full written agreement, and a final Judgment. Either spouse can revoke it before judgment (form FL-720).
Best if you and your spouse are aligned from day one and want to avoid a formal petitioner/respondent split.
Summary dissolution
A narrower, separate FL-800 series booklet
Only for marriages under 5 years, with no children, under $7,000 in shared debt, under $57,000 in community property and under $57,000 in each spouse’s separate property (vehicles excluded), and a mutual waiver of spousal support.
If you qualify, it’s the fastest path — but it uses its own court booklet, not this kit’s regular/joint-petition forms. We’ll flag it during eligibility so you can request the right materials.
We give you the current statewide forms for both routes plus instructions for confirming your county’s requirements — not a guarantee any particular Superior Court will accept a template without local additions.
Why choose a DIY kit?
California courts are strict. Generic forms get rejected for missing the Summons, a completed Proof of Service (FL-115), or the right disclosure paperwork for your route. We help you confirm which route fits your case and provide the matching statewide forms.
Save thousands
You do the filing yourself and keep the difference between a lawyer’s fee and a one-time kit price. The court filing fee is separate — see the breakdown alongside.
The right forms for your route
Includes the FL-100 Petition, FL-110 Summons, and disclosure paperwork for the regular route, or the FL-700 Joint Petition and FL-710 Summons for the 2026 joint-petition route — matched to your situation instead of one generic bundle.
The cost of divorce in California
The Superior Court filing fee is generally in the $435–$450 range statewide, with a fee waiver available if you qualify. Fees and local requirements can differ slightly by county — confirm the current amount with your clerk.
What’s in the kit: California Judicial Council forms
Current FL-series statewide forms, matched to your route, plus a roadmap for confirming your county’s local requirements.
Step-by-step roadmap
- Choosing the regular or joint-petition route
- Filing your Petition or Joint Petition
- Arranging proper service (a non-party server, personal or cooperative FL-117 mail) and filing your Proof of Service (FL-115)
- Exchanging disclosures
- Preparing your Judgment packet
Core legal documents
Current statewide forms, matched to your route:
Financial disclosures
- Cover sheet (FL-140)
- Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150)
- Schedule of Assets and Debts or Property Declaration (FL-142/FL-160), with supporting records
- Exchanged with your spouse, not filed with the court — we include the forms and the filed declaration confirming the exchange happened
What this kit does not include
- A guarantee that a judge will sign your Judgment — the court reviews your paperwork and can require corrections or additional documents
- The separate Summary Dissolution (FL-800 series) booklet — a narrower, different process for marriages under 5 years with limited property and debt
- Service of process, or a guarantee your spouse will cooperate with mail service under FL-117
- Your county’s specific filing fee — paid directly to the Superior Court, roughly $435–$450 statewide, with a fee waiver available if you qualify
- Additional local forms some counties require, or forms for pension/retirement division (QDRO), real property transfer, or complex custody/support issues
- A guaranteed timeline — six months is a statutory minimum from service or the respondent’s appearance (or from filing on the joint-petition route), not a promised finish date
- Contested cases, or representation in court
- Legal advice about your situation, or review of your completed documents
PlainDivorce is a private publisher. The Judicial Council of California publishes the official statewide forms, but has not reviewed, approved or endorsed this product. Local Superior Courts can require additional local forms or procedures — always confirm the current form versions and your county’s requirements before filing.
How it works
A roadmap through California’s six-month minimum — not a promise of a six-month finish.
Choose your route & file
Confirm residency and pick your route. File the Petition (FL-100) and Summons, or the Joint Petition (FL-700), with the Superior Court Clerk in your county and pay the filing fee (or file a fee waiver).
Serve (if needed) & disclose
On the regular route, have a non-party server serve your spouse and file your Proof of Service. Then, within 60 days of filing or responding, exchange your required financial disclosures.
Wait out the floor & finalize
Once six months have passed — from service or your spouse’s appearance (regular route) or from filing (joint petition) — submit your completed Judgment packet for the court to review and, if satisfied, sign.
Simple pricing vs. lawyer fees
| Feature | PlainDivorce Kit | Typical Lawyer |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation cost | $129 | $2,500–$5,000+ |
| Court filing fee | Paid to your county directly — roughly $435–$450, or a fee waiver | Same, usually billed on top |
| Process control | Your prep is DIY; the court’s review and calendar control the timeline | Lawyer schedule |
| Includes forms? | Yes — matched to your route (FL-100, FL-110, FL-700, FL-115, etc.) | Yes |
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What our customers say
Experiences from people who prepared their California divorce paperwork with PlainDivorce.
4.7 out of 5 based on 300+ customer reviews
Customer reviews are collected from purchasers and support conversations. Names may be shortened for privacy, and individual results vary by court, case facts, and filing requirements.
“Saved my savings account — and it walked me through exactly what ‘community property’ meant for our situation instead of just assuming I already knew.”
Sophie K.
Los Angeles
“We filed the new joint petition together, which felt a lot less adversarial — but the kit was clear that we still had to finish disclosures and the judgment ourselves.”
Nadia N.
San Diego
“Affordable, and it flagged that our county’s filing fee was a bit different from the statewide number I’d seen online — glad I called the clerk before showing up.”
Daniel E.
Long Beach
“User-friendly and straightforward. Exactly what I needed to get the Petition and Summons filed correctly the first time.”
Carlos L.
Sacramento
California uncontested divorce: frequently asked questions
What is an uncontested divorce in California?
An uncontested divorce means both spouses agree on all issues. In California this is usually handled as a default with agreement, a stipulated judgment after a Response is filed, or — since January 1, 2026 — the new joint petition route where both spouses file together from the start.
What’s new about the 2026 joint-petition route?
Spouses who agree from the outset can file a single joint petition (FL-700, with FL-710 and FL-105 if there are minor children) instead of one spouse petitioning and the other being served. It’s a calmer way to start, but the California Courts are explicit that it doesn’t finish your divorce — you still need financial disclosures, a full written agreement, and a final Judgment, and either spouse can revoke it before judgment.
Do I have to share my financial information?
In most cases, yes — California requires a preliminary exchange of financial disclosures (a cover sheet, an Income and Expense Declaration, and an assets/debts schedule, plus supporting records) within 60 days of filing or responding. These go to your spouse, not to the court. If your spouse never responds and there’s a true default, they don’t have to disclose; if they respond, or it’s a default with agreement, both sides exchange.
How long does the process take?
California has a six-month minimum before a divorce judgment can become final — from service of the petition or the respondent’s appearance, whichever happens first (on the regular route), or from filing (on the joint-petition route). That’s a statutory floor, not a promise the court will sign your judgment on that date; actual timing depends on your paperwork and the court’s calendar.
Can I use this kit for Los Angeles, San Diego, or any of the 58 counties?
The FL-series forms in this kit are statewide forms approved by the Judicial Council of California and designed to be used throughout the state. Individual Superior Courts can require additional local forms or procedures, so confirm your specific county’s current requirements before filing.
Important legal disclaimer
PlainDivorce is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal opinions, or representation. The California Uncontested Divorce Kit is a private self-help information product containing publicly available Judicial Council FL-series forms with general instructions. It is not a substitute for advice from a licensed California lawyer, and no court has reviewed, approved or endorsed it or its templates.
We do not guarantee that a judge will sign your Judgment, that your case qualifies for the joint-petition or summary-dissolution route, or that your county’s local requirements will match this kit’s general description. California’s six-month period is a minimum before a judgment can become final, not a promised completion date. Court rules, local practice, and filing fees vary by county and change over time; there is no single total cost. You are responsible for verifying current forms, fees, and your county’s specific requirements with your Superior Court Clerk before filing.
Content last reviewed: September 2026.