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Uncontested Divorce without a Lawyer

Dina Haddad

Founder & Attorney Mediator

I’m Dina Haddad, a family law attorney-mediator in California. I’m so tired of couples not having a process that’s easy to complete their divorce. They are getting lost, wasting time and money, and beyond frustrated with their results.That’s why I created The Complete Divorce. I took my successful mediation practice and condensed it into an affordable and winning program.

An uncontested divorce without an attorney in California, will require that you and your spouse are in total agreement regarding all issues such as division of assets/debts, custody of children, child support, and/or spousal support, thereby eliminating unnecessary court battles.

Under California Court Rules, you are permitted to file an uncontested divorce on your own as long as you have followed the correct filing procedure, completed all required Financial Disclosure statements and submitted a proper Marital Settlement Agreement (MSA).

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Uncontested Divorce Process Guidance Without a Lawyer

Before you begin this process, confirm that you meet all requirements. The couple must be resident in California for at least 6 months, and in the County where they are filing for at least 3 months. Filing too soon or in an incorrect County will result in rejection of your case, which could further delay the filing process.

If you do not currently meet these criteria, you may want to explore whether legal separation is an alternative choice for now.

To get the full walk-through on the steps to take when filing for divorce in California by yourself, please see our How to File for Divorce in California Yourself 2026 Guide.

Step 1 – Choose the correct filing path

California has several ways to proceed with an uncontested divorce. The type of divorce you choose will decide how fast you go through the divorce process.

If all of the requirements are met, a Summary Dissolution is the shortest path to complete a California uncontested divorce. This requires that your marriage was less than 5 years, you had no children from this marriage, no real property, limited debt, and you did not receive any spousal support during the marriage.

Another option would be a Joint Petition (FL-700). This method requires that you and your spouse fill out the same FL-700 form jointly and file it together at the court clerk’s office. Neither party needs to serve the other party formally when filing a joint petition.

Finally, the most common way to get divorced is by filing a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. One spouse will be the Petitioner and file the Form FL-100 and send a copy of the document to the other party by mail or personal service. The other party, will be the Respondent, and then either responds by completing their own response, FL-120, and can serve the other party by mail. Otherwise, without the Response, that matter can proceed by default.

Ultimately, you should compare the different types of divorce in California to find the best option for your unique situation.

Step 2 – File the initial divorce forms

After you choose which route you are going to take, then you will need to file your paperwork in the Family Court in either your or your spouse’s county. The paperwork that needs to be filed is Petition (FL-100), Summons (FL-110), and UCCJEA (FL-105) if there are minor children involved. The filing fee for your divorce can cost anywhere from $435-$450; however, some people qualify for a fee waiver.

Learn More: How To Start The Divorce Process in California

Step 3 – Serve the divorce papers (skip if filing jointly)

If you choose a standard divorce, you will need to serve the divorce papers. However, you can’t serve the divorce papers yourself. Someone else will be required to do this. Your spouse is allowed thirty (30) days from the date of service to answer. The forms for serving your spouse personally include FL-115 or FL-330, and FL-335 for mailing the divorce documents. Ensure that you properly file evidence to prevent delays in your case.

Step 4 – Mandatory financial disclosures

In all uncontested cases you are required to provide each other with your financial information using the FL-140 Declaration of Disclosure. The financial information includes such things as:

Assets
Debts (including credit cards, loans etc.)
Income
Expenses

You will not file a copy of this financial disclosure information at the courthouse. However, you must submit an affidavit stating that you provided each other with this financial information for filing purposes using FL-141 Declaration Regarding Service.

This is a required step. This is required even if you are not dividing assets or asking for support. There are no exceptions.

For details, visit our Do-It-Yourself divorce California comprehensive guide.

Step 5 – Draft a marital settlement agreement

You will need to include all of your agreements (property, debts, spousal support, children) in the final document. When you both sign the Marital Settlement Agreement, as well as get approval from the Judge, this is then considered an enforceable court order.

See our California marital settlement agreement guide for information on how to properly draft the agreement.

Step 6 – Submit final judgment packet

Once the 6 month waiting period has expired, you can file FL-180 and FL-190. You are NOT divorced until the Judge signs and accepts the final judgment. The forms required with the Judgment Packet include:

Appearance, stipulations, and waivers (FL-130)
Declaration regarding service of declaration of
Disclosure and income and expense declaration (FL-141) or stipulation and waiver of final declaration of disclosure (FL-144), depending on your case
Declaration for default or uncontested (FL-170)
Judgment (FL-180)
Notice of entry of judgment (FL-190)

And if you have children:

Child support information and order attachment (FL-342) and non-guideline child support findings attachment (FL-342(a)) for nonguideline child support)
Notice of rights and responsibilities regarding child support (FL-192)

Timeline and Cost of an Uncontested Divorce Without a Lawyer

The process of most uncontested divorce cases in California can be lengthy because it takes time for the divorces to go through the California courts system. The courts are backlogged so it can take weeks to months to get your forms and final papers approved.

Additionally, your marital status cannot dissolve until six months have elapsed (six months timeframe). With agreement, you can move through the process quickly, but you may still need to wait for the court to get to your papers in the very long queue. The better prepared and less errors that exist with your documentation, the fewer delays will be present, including a court rejection after having waited for so long.

The costs associated with an uncontested divorce are much lower than those of a contested divorce. Your total filing fee (court cost) will generally fall within the range of $435-$475 per person, and your total divorce costs will depend on the process you use. Without legal professionals, you can keep your divorce costs under $1,500.00.

What can increase time and cost:

Incomplete or incorrect documents
Proof of Service Errors
Delayed or Missing Financial Disclosure
Revisions To Your Agreement Due To Disagreement

Fortunately, The Complete Divorce helps individuals with all aspects of their divorce process including organization, reducing mistakes and avoiding delays which could extend the time and cost of a divorce.

Take Control of Divorce

You may be able to do an uncontested divorce in California without a lawyer. What you need is to meet the residency requirements, follow the correct procedure of filing, have appropriately exchanged information as part of disclosure, and submit a comprehensive settlement agreement.

The issue is remaining well-organized so that you file accurately. Begin early and stay away from delays by using The Complete Divorce. With The Complete Divorce, you receive assistance on every form and deadline you need to comply with, for just $49.99 monthly.

Partner with The Complete Divorce today and speed up your divorce process!

FAQ — Uncontested Divorce

Q. Can I really get divorced in California without a lawyer?

You can file for an uncontested divorce in California by yourself if you and your spouse have agreed upon all of the issues and comply with the requirements set forth by the California Courts.

Q. Do we have to go to court for an uncontested divorce?

Typically no. The majority of uncontested divorces do not require you to attend a hearing. Once your paperwork has been reviewed by a Judge and deemed complete and accurate, they will sign off on your Judgment of Dissolution. However, you can still have an uncontested case but have court hearings on temporary issues. Your case would be still uncontested so long as you resolved all issues by settlement at the end (e.g., Marital Settlement Agreement instead of a trial).

Q. What is the cheapest way to get a divorce in California?

If eligible for a Summary Dissolution, that is typically the most cost-effective option. If not qualified for a Summary Dissolution, then an Uncontested Divorce would likely provide the lowest expense relative to Contested Divorces.

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