If you and your spouse have decided to divorce and have already reached agreement on the important issues, getting divorced should not require navigating a maze of unfamiliar court forms on your own.

With an online uncontested divorce, much of the process can be handled remotely: you provide the information, the required divorce documents are prepared, and you choose the level of assistance you want with filing, signatures, and attorney support.

There is one important distinction:

An online divorce is still a real New York divorce.

Your divorce is filed with the New York Supreme Court, the required legal procedures must be completed, and a Judge ultimately signs your Judgment of Divorce.

Express Divorce simply makes the process of getting there clearer, more organized, and easier to manage.

What Is an Online Divorce?

An online divorce is a way to prepare and manage an uncontested divorce without having to figure out every New York court form and procedural requirement yourself.

Instead of starting with legal paperwork, you begin with a guided questionnaire about your marriage, children, finances, property, debts, and agreement.

That information is then used to prepare the documents required for your divorce.

Depending on how much help you want, you can:

• Have your New York divorce documents professionally prepared and file them yourself;
• Receive assistance with filing, spouse signatures, and administrative steps; or
• Select an attorney-assisted option when you want legal guidance or review.

You make the decisions about your divorce. We help turn those decisions into the documents and process needed to complete it.

Who Is Express Divorce Designed For?

Express Divorce is primarily designed for couples who have reached agreement and want an organized, efficient way to complete an uncontested New York divorce.

You may be a good candidate if:

• You and your spouse agree to divorce;
• Property and debts have been resolved;
• Maintenance has been addressed;
• You agree about custody and parenting time, if you have children;
• Child support and child-related expenses have been addressed;
• You do not need a Judge to decide a dispute between you; and
• You want professional help completing the divorce process without automatically retaining a traditional full-service divorce lawyer.

A divorce involving children can still be uncontested.

A divorce involving property can still be uncontested.

The important question is whether the two of you have already reached agreement.

Step 1: Make Sure You Can File for Divorce in New York

Before beginning, you must satisfy New York’s residency requirements.

Which residency rule applies depends upon factors such as where you and your spouse have lived, where you were married, and the parties’ connection to New York.

Depending on the circumstances, New York law may require one or two years of residency.

This is one of the first issues that should be confirmed before your divorce papers are prepared.

Step 2: Confirm That the Divorce Is Uncontested

An uncontested divorce means that the issues necessary to complete the divorce have been resolved.

Depending on your circumstances, that may include:

• Property;
• Debts;
• Spousal maintenance;
• Custody;
• Parenting time;
• Child support;
• Health insurance;
• Child-related expenses;
• Retirement benefits; and
• Other financial obligations.

New York permits no-fault divorce based upon an irretrievable breakdown of the marital relationship for at least six months. Before the Judgment of Divorce can be entered, however, the required financial and child-related issues must also be resolved.

If you still have an important issue you cannot agree upon, you may need legal advice or traditional representation before using an uncontested-divorce service.

Step 3: Gather Your Information

Before beginning the questionnaire, it is helpful to have basic information available concerning your marriage and finances.

Depending upon your case, you may need:

• Your marriage date and location;
• Current addresses;
• Information concerning your children;
• Income information;
• Tax returns;
• Bank and investment information;
• Real-estate information;
• Mortgage balances;
• Retirement accounts;
• Credit cards and debts;
• Health-insurance information;
• Existing support obligations; and
• Any prenuptial, postnuptial, separation, or settlement agreement.

The more accurate the information you provide, the smoother the document-preparation process can be.

Step 4: Complete the Express Divorce Questionnaire

Rather than asking you to interpret New York divorce forms yourself, the Express Divorce questionnaire organizes the information into understandable subjects.

You provide the facts.

We use those facts to prepare the appropriate divorce documents.

Before anything is finalized, you should carefully review names, dates, financial information, and the terms of your agreement for accuracy.

Step 5: Your New York Divorce Documents Are Prepared

An uncontested divorce requires more than one form.

Depending upon your circumstances, documents may be required to:

• Start the divorce case;
• Address service or your spouse’s participation;
• Address automatic orders and health insurance;
• Provide required financial information;
• Address maintenance or child support;
• Submit the divorce for judicial review; and
• Prepare the Judgment of Divorce.

Not every divorce requires exactly the same papers.

That is one of the reasons many people prefer a guided process instead of trying to determine which court forms apply on their own.

Step 6: File the Divorce in New York Supreme Court

Divorce proceedings in New York are filed in Supreme Court.

The spouse commencing the divorce is generally called the Plaintiff, and the other spouse is the Defendant.

An index number is obtained when the case is commenced.

New York currently charges $210 for the index number, and the New York court system identifies at least $335 in court filing fees for a typical uncontested divorce.

Court fees are separate from Express Divorce service fees.

Depending upon the county and circumstances, filing may be available electronically through NYSCEF or may need to be handled through the appropriate clerk’s office.

Step 7: Your Spouse Participates in the Divorce

Starting the case is only the beginning.

The Defendant must be properly notified of the divorce and must participate — or default — in accordance with New York procedure.

When both spouses are cooperating, the uncontested process can be considerably simpler.

If your spouse begins disputing property, custody, support, or another material issue, however, the case may no longer qualify as an uncontested divorce.

Step 8: Complete Any Financial or Child-Related Requirements

Having children does not prevent you from obtaining an uncontested divorce.

Parents must, however, appropriately address issues such as:

• Custody;
• Parenting time;
• Child support;
• Health insurance; and
• Child-related expenses.

Additional documentation may also be required where the divorce involves maintenance, real estate, retirement accounts, or other significant assets.

Step 9: Submit the Divorce for Judicial Review

Once the required preliminary steps have been completed, the final uncontested-divorce package is submitted to the court.

A Judge reviews the papers.

If the court requires a correction or additional document, the package may need to be supplemented.

Once the court is satisfied that the requirements have been met, the Judge can sign the Judgment of Divorce.

Step 10: Receive Your Judgment of Divorce

The Judgment of Divorce is the court document that legally terminates your marriage.

Completing an online questionnaire does not divorce you.

Preparing documents does not divorce you.

Filing the first papers does not divorce you.

Your marriage ends when the New York court grants the divorce and the Judgment of Divorce is signed and entered.

Express Divorce helps you navigate everything required to reach that point.

How Much Does an Online Divorce Cost in New York?

There are two different types of costs to consider:

1. Court and third-party costs

New York currently identifies at least $335 in filing fees for an uncontested divorce, including the $210 index-number fee and additional fees associated with submitting the case for judicial review.

There may also be costs for service, notarization, certified copies, mailing, or other third-party services.

People experiencing serious financial hardship may be eligible to request a court fee waiver.

2. The level of Express Divorce assistance you choose

Express Divorce — $799

For couples who have already reached agreement and want their New York uncontested-divorce documents prepared professionally.

You receive the prepared divorce documents and handle the court filing yourself.

Express Divorce Plus — $1,999

For people who want additional administrative support.

This option includes document preparation together with assistance coordinating filing, spouse signatures, status updates, and the administrative steps required to move the divorce forward.

Attorney-Assisted Divorce

Some uncontested divorces need more than document preparation.

If you have questions about your agreement, significant assets, children, maintenance, retirement accounts, international issues, or the legal consequences of what you are signing, an attorney-assisted option may be more appropriate.

Express Divorce lets you choose the level of professional support your particular divorce actually needs.

Court fees and third-party expenses are separate.

How Long Does an Online Divorce Take in New York?

There is no single statewide timeline for an uncontested New York divorce.

New York does not impose a general six-month waiting period after filing.

The six-month period commonly associated with New York’s no-fault divorce law concerns how long the marital relationship has been irretrievably broken. It does not mean that every couple must wait another six months after filing.

How long your divorce actually takes can depend upon:

• How quickly you provide the required information;
• Whether your spouse cooperates;
• Whether formal service is necessary;
• Whether children are involved;
• Whether financial calculations or additional documents are needed;
• Whether the court requests corrections;
• The county where the case is filed; and
• The court’s own processing time.

Express Divorce can make the part of the process within your control more efficient.

No divorce service can control the court’s calendar.

When Is an Online Divorce Not the Right Choice?

Express Divorce is not intended to replace legal representation when there is an active dispute.

Attorney involvement may be appropriate if:

• Your spouse contests significant issues;
• You disagree about custody or parenting time;
• Child support or maintenance remains unresolved;
• You believe assets are being hidden;
• Significant property is disputed;
• A business must be valued;
• There are complicated retirement, tax, or debt issues;
• Domestic violence or safety concerns exist;
• Relocation is involved;
• International jurisdiction or foreign service is involved; or
• You do not understand the legal consequences of the agreement you are being asked to sign.

The goal is not to eliminate lawyers.

The goal is to give you the right level of legal and professional assistance for the divorce you actually have.

What If My Spouse Lives Outside the United States?

You may still be able to obtain a New York divorce if your spouse lives abroad.

International cases, however, require particular care.

Depending upon the country and circumstances, service may involve New York law, foreign law, translation requirements, or an international treaty such as the Hague Service Convention.

An international divorce should therefore be evaluated before it is treated as an ordinary online uncontested filing.

Attorney-assisted services are available when international issues require additional review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Online Divorce Legitimate?

Yes.

Preparing divorce documents online is simply a method of organizing and completing the process.

The divorce itself remains a New York Supreme Court proceeding, and the court — not a website — grants your Judgment of Divorce.

Can I Get Divorced Online for Free?

New York makes uncontested-divorce forms available to the public, so you are not required to purchase a document-preparation service.

Court filing fees generally still apply unless you qualify for a fee waiver.

The value of Express Divorce is that you do not have to determine, from scratch, which documents apply, how they should be completed, and how the different pieces of the process fit together.

Do I Need a Lawyer?

Not necessarily.

Many people complete an uncontested divorce without traditional full-service legal representation.

But deciding whether you need legal advice is different from deciding whether you are permitted to represent yourself.

If your divorce involves substantial property, children, maintenance, businesses, retirement benefits, international issues, or uncertainty about your agreement, attorney review may be appropriate.

Does My Spouse Have to Sign?

Not necessarily.

A spouse generally cannot prevent a New York divorce indefinitely simply by refusing to cooperate.

There is, however, an important difference between a spouse who simply does not respond and a spouse who affirmatively disputes custody, property, support, or another substantive issue.

If your spouse is properly served and fails to respond, a default procedure may be available.

If your spouse contests material issues, the matter may fall outside the scope of an uncontested-divorce package.

Will I Have to Go to Court?

Many uncontested divorces are decided based upon written submissions without a traditional trial.

Whether an appearance is required depends upon the circumstances of the particular case and the court.

For that reason, no legitimate divorce service should promise that you will never have to appear in court.

Divorce Without the Guesswork

Getting divorced does not have to mean choosing between doing everything yourself and immediately retaining a traditional full-service law firm.

Express Divorce was created to provide another option.

A structured process.

Professionally prepared New York divorce documents.

Clear pricing.

Different levels of assistance depending upon what you need.

And attorney support when your circumstances require it.

You make the decisions. We make the process easier to navigate.

Ready to Begin?

START YOUR NEW YORK DIVORCE