Instructions for Findings of Fact and Decree of Dissolution of Marriage With Children

NOTE: These instructions are ONLY for couples who live in Louisville-Jefferson County. These instructions are part of the Self-Help Divorce With Children series and are ONLY for couples who have one or more children together, with at least one child aged 18 or younger and/or still in high school. If you do not have any children together, or if your children are all over 18 and are not in high school, please see the instructions for Self-Help Divorce Without Children.

Download the Findings of Fact and Decree of Dissolution of Marriage form and instructions (Word format)

This form is to be used to finalize the divorce. This form must be completed if you filed a marriage settlement agreement. It must be filed with the Court at the same time or after the Marital Settlement Agreement has been filed and at the same time or after the Deposition of Petitioner has been filed with the Court.

If you have any questions regarding your legal rights, have difficulty filling out this form, or have trouble following any of the specific instructions that accompany this form, you may want to consult an attorney.

Fill in the Findings of Fact and Decree of Dissolution of Marriage as follows:

  1. Fill in the Civil Action Number listed on the Petition. This is the number given to you by the clerk.

  2. Fill in the name of the person listed as the Petitioner on the Petition.

  3. Fill in the name of the person listed as the Respondent on the Petition. Fill in the blanks and/or check the appropriate boxes in Section C.

  4. List the initials and the age of all children of the marriage who are under 18 and/or still in high school.

  5. You must check the appropriate box as to whether or not child support was calculated according to the statutory guidelines, and, if not, explain the reason. This information should be consistent with the information in your Marital Settlement Agreement.

  6. Once the form is complete, sign your name here. Do not sign at home because you must sign in front of a notary or the Circuit Clerk.

    **YOU MUST SIGN THIS FORM IN THE PRESENCE OF A NOTARY OR CIRCUIT CLERK**

    Remember you are making a "promise" to the Court that all of the information you have provided in this document and true and accurate to the best of your knowledge.

  7. Print your full address, including street number, street name, city, state and zip code.

  8. Print your telephone number.

  9. The notary public or court clerk will notarize your signature here.

  10. Go to the section entitled "Certification" and print the name of the other party in the action as listed in B or C on the first page. Then, on the lines provided, fill in that person's complete address, including the street number, street address, city, state and zip code. Also, fill in the area code and telephone number.

  11. Sign your name and fill in the date.

YOU MUST PROVIDE THE FULL NAME AND CORRECT ADDRESS OF THE OTHER PERSON INVOLVED IN THIS ACTION. If you do not know the address, put the last known address with the words "last known" in parentheses.

Take the original to the Office of the Clerk of Jefferson County Family Court located at 700 West Jefferson Street, Louisville, Kentucky. Present the original to the Clerk. You will be required to pay for copies for you and your spouse. The Clerk will give you back two of the photocopies for your records and will file the original with the judge.

You are not divorced until the judge signs the Decree and it is entered by the Clerk.

If you have filed everything correctly, you should receive a certified copy of the Decree in the mail, signed by the Judge and entered by the Court within one month. If you have not received the Decree in the mail within one month, you need to file the Motion to Move Case Forward.