Where Divorce Isn’t More Difficult Than It Has to Be
Express Divorce offers a guided online path for qualifying New York uncontested divorces, helping spouses complete the legal process with less confusion, clearer pricing, and the level of support they choose.
Uncontested Divorce
Matrimonial Experience
Clear Flat Fees
When You Need It
Why Express Divorce?
When you and your spouse have already reached agreement, much of the divorce process is about preparing the right documents, completing the required steps, and getting the case properly before the court.
Express Divorce makes that process easier to manage online.
You can complete your information at your own pace, receive documents prepared for your New York uncontested divorce, and choose the level of filing or attorney support that fits your situation.
How It Works
Online convenience. New York divorce experience behind it.
New York does not use one single “divorce form.”
An uncontested divorce may require a series of documents depending on how the action is commenced and whether children, support, property, or other issues are involved.
The statewide uncontested-divorce packet includes forms such as:
New York Courts maintain the current statewide uncontested-divorce forms.
A written settlement agreement may also be required where the spouses have financial, property, maintenance, custody, child-support, or other continuing terms to document.
Residency Requirements
To file for divorce in New York, at least one of the residency combinations set out in Domestic Relations Law § 230 must be satisfied.
Depending on the circumstances, this may include:
New York’s residency requirements are set by Domestic Relations Law § 230.
Grounds for Divorce
For a typical Express Divorce matter, the relevant ground is New York’s no-fault ground:
Irretrievable breakdown of the marriage for at least six months.
New York Courts explain that before judgment can be granted on this ground, the economic and child-related issues must also have been resolved.
Express Divorce is designed for uncontested New York divorces, so I would not emphasize adultery, abandonment, cruelty, incarceration, or other fault grounds on this page.
Initial Filing
Divorce actions in New York are handled by the Supreme Court.
The action is generally commenced by filing either:
The plaintiff purchases an index number and files the appropriate commencement papers with the County Clerk.
Depending on the county and eligibility, some divorce filings may be handled electronically.
Filing Fees
The current New York fee for an index number is $210.
New York Courts state that an uncontested divorce costs at least $335 in court filing fees, including the later RJI/Note of Issue fee. These court costs are separate from legal-service fees and other expenses such as process service, notarization, copies, or mailing.
If severe financial hardship prevents payment of the filing fees, a party may apply to the court for a fee waiver.
Serving the Defendant
After the divorce action is started, the defendant must be properly brought into the case.
Where formal personal service is required, New York has specific rules concerning who may serve the papers and how proof of service must be completed.
In a cooperative uncontested divorce, the defendant may instead execute the appropriate uncontested-divorce papers depending on the circumstances.
Express Divorce provides service and signature guidance based on the selected package.
Waiting Period
New York does not impose a general mandatory waiting period before an uncontested divorce can be finalized.
But there is also no guaranteed completion date.
Timing depends on:
Finalizing a Divorce Case
Once the required documents are complete, the uncontested-divorce submission is presented to the court.
The judge reviews the papers and, if the legal requirements are satisfied, signs the Judgment of Divorce.
The divorce is not complete merely because the spouses have agreed or signed an agreement.
The court makes the divorce final.
Steps to consider
Filing basics
Before beginning, make sure New York has jurisdiction under the applicable residency requirements.
Most Express Divorce matters proceed under the no-fault ground of an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage for at least six months.
The divorce is filed in New York State Supreme Court.
The action begins with the appropriate summons and, where used, Verified Complaint.
Expect at least $335 in New York court filing fees for a standard uncontested divorce, apart from other costs.
The defendant must be properly served or execute the appropriate uncontested-divorce documentation.
The final papers are submitted for judicial review and entry of the Judgment of Divorce.
The forms required depend on your circumstances.
Instead of trying to determine on your own:
Express Divorce guides you through the information needed for your selected service.
You answer the questions.
We help turn the answers into your New York uncontested-divorce documents.
START MY DIVORCE
How to get started
Custody Basics
If you have children, your uncontested divorce must address the parenting arrangements that apply to your family.
New York commonly distinguishes between:
Legal Custody
Who has authority to make major decisions affecting the child, such as education, healthcare, and other important matters.
Physical or Residential Custody
Where the child primarily lives and how parenting time is structured.
New York custody determinations are based on the best interests of the child.
For Express Divorce, however, the key point is simpler:
The parents must already have reached agreement.
If custody or parenting time remains genuinely disputed, the matter may not qualify for the Express Divorce process.
Uncontested Divorce
A New York divorce is uncontested when the spouses want the divorce and have resolved what will happen with their children, finances, and property. New York Courts use essentially this definition when distinguishing uncontested from contested cases.
That may include agreement concerning:
When those issues are resolved, the legal process becomes more predictable.
That is exactly what Express Divorce is designed for.
You agree.
We help with what comes next.
Support Basics
If you have children, child support must be properly addressed before an uncontested divorce can be finalized.
New York uses the Child Support Standards Act to calculate the presumptive basic child-support obligation.
Express Divorce provides a separate New York Child Support Calculator to help estimate the basic obligation based on the information entered.
CALCULATE NEW YORK CHILD SUPPORT
Where parents agree to deviate from the presumptive amount, the settlement documents must still properly address the applicable CSSA requirements.
There is no guaranteed statewide timeline. New York has no general mandatory waiting period, but completion depends on the paperwork, county, corrections, and court processing time.
New York provides a procedure to request a waiver of court fees for people who cannot afford them due to serious financial hardship.
A divorce action is filed in Supreme Court using the applicable commencement papers, followed by the remaining documents required to complete the case.
New York Courts state that court filing fees are at least $335 for an uncontested divorce. Legal-service and third-party costs are separate.
Some New York matrimonial filings may be eligible for electronic filing depending on the county and circumstances. Express Divorce's online service does not itself grant the divorce; the New York Supreme Court does.
Not everyone needs the same level of legal assistance. Express Divorce therefore offers document-only, filing-support, attorney-review, family, and attorney-led service options.
We prepare your New York uncontested-divorce paperwork and provide clear filing instructions. You handle the filing with the court.
Get help with your New York divorce paperwork, court filing, spouse signatures, and the steps needed to move your uncontested divorce forward.
We handle your entire uncontested divorce process from start to finish, including paperwork preparation, filing, and court coordination so you don’t have to manage any steps on your own.