Home Massachusetts Section 1A Divorce Kit
2026 edition • Verified against G.L. c. 208 § 1A & current Probate and Family Court formsMassachusetts Section 1A Divorce Kit
The Probate and Family Court splits your paperwork into what’s due at filing and what’s due before your hearing — we match your forms to each stage, in order.
Massachusetts filings stall over sequencing, not disagreements. Our kit walks you through the Joint Petition (CJD-101A), the Separation Agreement, the Financial Statements, and the conditional child-case forms — each one labeled for when the court actually needs it, not bundled into one “file it all on day one” list.
1A packet sorted by filing stage, plus conditional parent forms if you have kids
Plain-English Nisi timeline so you know your real final date
Deadline tracker for the items with hard cut-offs
Free eligibility check before you pay
Instant download • No subscription • 30-day money-back guarantee
Takes about 60 seconds. We’ll tell you if a 1A kit fits your situation before you pay a cent.
“Thank you for making this stressful time a little easier.”
Andrew C. · Cambridge, Massachusetts
Is This Kit Right for You?
This kit is built for Section 1A joint divorces only, with or without children. Two minutes here saves you filing the wrong paperwork.
This kit fits if:
- You both agree the marriage has an irretrievable breakdown.
- Both spouses will sign the Joint Petition (CJD-101A) and a notarized Separation Agreement (it can follow the petition, within 90 days).
- You agree on everything: property, debts, and — if you have kids — custody, parenting time, and support.
- You’ll each file a Financial Statement disclosing income, assets, and debts before your case is scheduled.
- You meet the residency rule: one year in Massachusetts, or the breakdown happened here while you lived here as a couple.
- With or without minor children — if you have kids, the kit adds the conditional parent forms and deadlines that apply to your case.
Talk to a lawyer if:
- Your spouse won’t sign — that’s a 1B Complaint, a different process.
- You’re filing on fault grounds (adultery, desertion, cruelty).
- You disagree on any issue, including the child support number.
- You have a business, pension, or complex assets to value and divide.
- There is abuse, intimidation, or pressure to sign. A 1A only works when both people negotiate freely.
Not sure which side you’re on? Run the free eligibility check — it takes about a minute and costs nothing.
Why Massachusetts 1A Filings Get Sent Back
Almost never because the couple disagreed. Here’s what actually costs people weeks — and what the kit does about it.
Treating “filing day” as one big list
The court itself splits your paperwork into what’s required at initial filing and what’s best filed before your case is scheduled — Financial Statements and the child-support worksheets fall in the second group. Treating everything as due on day one is how people over-prepare on the wrong items and under-prepare on the ones with real deadlines. The kit keeps the two lists separate, the way the court does.
No certified copy of the marriage certificate
Required at initial filing — and a photocopy or your keepsake certificate won’t do. You need a certified copy from wherever the marriage was recorded (a Massachusetts city or town clerk if you married here). If you don’t have it yet, the court allows a Motion (CJD-400) to file the certificate late so your case isn’t held up while you order it. The kit puts this on day one of your checklist, with that motion ready to go.
Missing the 90-day Separation Agreement deadline
If you file the petition without the signed agreement attached, you have 90 days to file it or the case is subject to dismissal — and the filing fee doesn’t come back. The kit tracks this deadline from the day you file.
Financial statements filled out monthly instead of weekly
The Financial Statement asks for weekly figures. To convert a monthly amount you divide by 4.3, not 4. The kit includes a worked conversion sheet and a line-by-line walkthrough.
One shared child disclosure affidavit instead of two
In cases with children under 18, each petitioner signs their own Child Care or Custody Disclosure Affidavit at initial filing. Couples routinely file one between them and get it returned. The kit ships two, pre-labelled.
Documents that contradict each other
An asset on your Financial Statement that the Separation Agreement never divides, or income figures that don’t match your Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, invites questions at the hearing. The kit includes a cross-check pass before you file.
Why a Self-Help Kit?
A 1A divorce is a paperwork exercise. The people who get through it cleanly aren’t the ones who understand divorce law best — they’re the ones whose packet was complete and correctly sequenced.
Keep the money
You keep the difference between an attorney's fee and a one-time kit price — see the breakdown alongside.
Know your real final date
You are not divorced when you walk out of the hearing. We map the 30 + 90 day Nisi timeline, measured from the court’s approval order, so you don’t book a wedding, change a beneficiary, or pick a tax filing status on the wrong date.
Nothing filed at the wrong time
Forms are sequenced the way the court itself organizes them, split into what’s due at filing, what’s best filed before your hearing is scheduled, and what only applies in special circumstances.
What a 1A actually costs
Court fee is $200 plus a $15 surcharge, payable to the Commonwealth. If you file online through eFileMA, add a one-time $22 new-case fee plus a credit-card processing fee — not included above. Waivers are available if you qualify. Excludes the certified marriage certificate (about $10–$20) and notary fees.
What’s Inside the Kit
Court-published Probate and Family Court forms, organized the way the court itself sequences a 1A case — required at filing, best filed before scheduling, or only for special circumstances — with plain-English instructions for each one.
Required at Initial Filing
Anyone filing a 1A needs these on day one:
Best Filed Before Scheduling
The court’s own “best case practice” list — not required to file, but expected before your hearing is set:
Under $75,000 income uses the short form; $75,000 or above uses the long form.
Special Circumstances
Only some filers need these — the kit tells you if you’re one of them:
Good news for children’s cases: a 1A joint petition is explicitly excluded from the mandatory “Two Families Now” co-parenting course under Standing Order 3-23 — you will not need to register for or complete it.
Step-by-Step Roadmap
From signing the agreement to Judgment Absolute: where to file, what the judge is actually checking for at the hearing, and how the 30-day wait plus 90-day Nisi period sets your final date.
Deadline Tracker
A one-page timeline of every hard cut-off: the 90-day Separation Agreement window, and your Nisi and Judgment Absolute dates — without any co-parenting-course deadlines that don’t apply to a 1A case.
What this kit does not include
- A guarantee that the court accepts your filing, a judge approves your agreement, or a specific hearing date — the court controls scheduling and review
- The court’s $215 filing fee, eFileMA’s own $22 new-case fee, or card-processing charges
- Contested cases — disputes over custody, support, property, or a spouse who won’t sign
- Legal advice about your situation, or review of your completed documents
- Any additional local form or step your specific Registry of Probate may require
Built around forms published statewide by the Massachusetts Trial Court for filing in any Registry of Probate, including Middlesex, Suffolk, Worcester, and Essex. Confirm current form versions and any local requirements with your Register of Probate before filing.
Forms are published by the Massachusetts Trial Court and are freely available from the court. PlainDivorce is an independent publisher and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court. You’re paying for the organization, instructions, and deadline guidance — not for the forms themselves.
How It Works
Four stages from download to Judgment Absolute.
Prepare
Order your certified marriage certificate (or plan to file CJD-400 if it’s not ready), complete the Separation Agreement, and get it signed and notarized by both spouses. Decide together whether it will merge into your judgment or survive as an independent contract.
File
Submit the Joint Petition (CJD-101A) and the other items required at initial filing to the Register of Probate in your county, in person, by mail, or via eFileMA (a $22 new-case fee plus card-processing charges apply online). Pay the $215 court fee. File Financial Statements before your case is scheduled.
Hearing
Both spouses attend a hearing (a waiver of attendance can be requested). The judge determines the marriage has broken down and reviews whether your agreement makes proper provision for custody, support, alimony, and property. If approved, an order enters; if not, the agreement is void and the case is dismissed without prejudice, so you can refile.
Nisi → Absolute
Judgment Nisi enters automatically 30 days after the court’s order approving your divorce (ordinarily issued at the hearing). It becomes Absolute 90 days later. You’re divorced roughly 120 days after that approval date.
The mistake we see most: assuming the hearing is the finish line. You’re still legally married until your Judgment Absolute enters — plan around that date, not the hearing date.
Simple Pricing
One payment. No subscription, no upsells, no hourly billing.
| Feature | PlainDivorce Kit | Typical attorney |
|---|---|---|
| Your cost | $129 | $3,000+ |
| Court filing fee | $215 (paid to court) | $215 (paid to court) |
| Forms matched to your filing stage | Yes | Yes |
| Conditional child-case forms, if applicable | Included | Included |
| Pace | You set it | Their calendar |
| Legal advice on your situation | No — information only | Yes |
What Our Customers Say
Real stories from people who filed their own Massachusetts divorce.
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.
“The instructions were crystal clear. I never felt lost or confused.”
Eric D.
Boston
“PlainDivorce made everything so simple. I filled out the forms in one evening, and everything was clear and ready to file.”
Brian B.
Lowell
“Thank you for making this stressful time a little easier.”
Andrew C.
Cambridge
Individual results depend on your own circumstances and your court’s schedule. No outcome is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a “1A” divorce?
A 1A divorce is filed under Section 1A of Chapter 208 of the Massachusetts General Laws. It’s for couples who agree the marriage has irretrievably broken down and have a written agreement resolving every issue, which lets you file a Joint Petition together instead of one spouse suing the other.
When am I actually divorced? (The Nisi period)
Not at your hearing, exactly. The Judgment of Divorce Nisi enters automatically 30 days after the court gives its initial approval of your agreement — ordinarily the hearing date, but not always — and becomes Absolute 90 days after that. In most cases that’s roughly 120 days from your hearing, but the clock legally runs from the approval order. You can’t remarry until it’s absolute. Nothing needs to be filed during the wait; it runs on its own.
Which Financial Statement do I use, and when is it due?
If your annual income is under $75,000, use the Short Form (CJD-301S). At $75,000 or above, use the Long Form (CJD-301L). If you’re right at the line or your income fluctuates, use the long form. The court lists Financial Statements as best filed before your case is scheduled, not as a required initial-filing attachment — but filing early avoids a scramble later. Note that figures are reported weekly — divide monthly amounts by 4.3. The kit includes both forms and a conversion sheet.
What is the R-408?
The Report of Absolute Divorce (R-408) is a vital statistics form that records your divorce with the Registry of Vital Records. Despite the name, it’s required at initial filing, alongside the Joint Petition — not at the end of the case.
Do I need a certified marriage certificate?
Yes, and it’s required at initial filing. A photocopy or decorative certificate won’t be accepted — you need a certified copy from the official records office where your marriage was recorded (a Massachusetts city or town clerk if you married here; another jurisdiction’s vital-records office if you married elsewhere). If it isn’t ready yet, the court allows a Motion (CJD-400) to file it late, so this doesn’t have to hold up your case — order it early either way.
Does the kit cover cases with children?
Yes. It includes the Child Care or Custody Disclosure Affidavit (one for each parent, required at initial filing — a common filing error is submitting only one), the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (CJD-304) where child support is addressed, and CJD-305 findings where applicable, both best filed before your hearing is scheduled. One piece of good news: Standing Order 3-23 specifically excludes 1A joint petitions from the mandatory “Two Families Now” co-parenting course requirement that applies to other divorce and custody case types, so you won’t need to register for or complete it.
What happens if the judge doesn’t approve our agreement?
The judge reviews your agreement for the same standard used in contested cases (minus any inquiry into fault) — whether it makes proper provision for custody, support, alimony, and property. If the judge declines to approve it, the agreement becomes null and void and your case is treated as dismissed, but without prejudice, meaning you can revise the agreement and refile. This is uncommon in a genuinely uncontested case, but it’s why the agreement itself matters more than any single form.
Should our agreement “merge” or “survive”?
A merged agreement becomes part of the divorce judgment itself, enforceable and modifiable the way court orders generally are. A surviving agreement stays a separate, independent contract between you and your spouse alongside the judgment. Which one is right for you depends on the specific terms — it’s worth discussing with a lawyer even in an otherwise uncontested case. The kit walks through the tradeoffs and includes the sample language for both.
Aren’t these forms free from the court?
They are, and we say so plainly. What you’re paying for is knowing which forms your situation needs, what order they’re filed in, which deadlines apply, and the instructions that aren’t printed on the forms — like the weekly-income conversion or the 90-day agreement window. If you’d rather assemble it yourself from the court’s website, that’s a completely legitimate choice.
Does filing online cost extra?
If you file through eFileMA instead of in person or by mail, the court adds a one-time $22 fee for a new case, plus a credit-card processing fee, on top of the $200 filing fee and $15 surcharge. Filing in person or by mail avoids the extra $22, but not the processing fee if you pay by card there too.
What if the kit turns out not to fit my situation?
Run the free eligibility check first — it’s designed to catch that before you pay. If you’ve already bought and it isn’t right, we offer a 30-day money-back guarantee, no explanation needed.
Important Legal Disclaimer
PlainDivorce is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or represent you in court. The Massachusetts Section 1A Divorce Kit is a self-help information product. Using it does not create an attorney-client relationship, and we cannot guarantee that a court accepts your filing, a judge approves your agreement, or any particular hearing date or outcome.
We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Massachusetts Probate and Family Court or the Massachusetts Trial Court. Court forms are published by the Trial Court and are available free of charge from mass.gov.
Court rules, forms, and fees change. Filing fees are $200 plus a $15 surcharge for a 1A petition at the time of writing; eFileMA adds its own $22 new-case fee and a card-processing charge. You are responsible for confirming current requirements and form versions with your Register of Probate before filing. If you have questions about your rights, your safety, or complex assets, consult a licensed Massachusetts attorney. Content last reviewed: September 2026.