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Instructions for Steps You Must Take After Completing Online Divorce Forms

AFTER YOU COMPLETE THE INTERVIEW, PLEASE REVIEW THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROPER FILING OF YOUR FORMS.

Please read the following instructions for how to proceed after you have completed your interview. You can click on one of the following options and you will be given the directions for that particular situation.

If you and your spouse agree on your divorce, click here for more instructions.
If your spouse will not sign papers, but you know where he/she is located, click here for more instructions.
If you do not know where your spouse is located, click here for more instructions.

IF YOU AND YOUR SPOUSE AGREE ON YOUR DIVORCE:

After you have completed your interview and printed your divorce forms, you need to read over them very carefully. Make sure that all the information is correct and current. Do not sign your forms until you are with a notary. Take your forms to a notary to have them notarized. Generally, banks and places of worship have notaries available. You cannot file your forms at the Family Court Clerk without signing them in front of a notary. Since you are in agreement with your spouse, your spouse will also need to sign the forms which require the signature of the respondent in front of a notary. Your spouse should sign forms 2, 2C and 3A. Your spouse will sign as the respondent, while you are the petitioner. If you cannot get your spouse to sign the agreement you should refer to the Frequently Asked Questions of the Kentucky On-line Self-help Assistance website.

Take your forms to the Jefferson County Family Court Clerk’s Office at 700 W. Jefferson. There you will need to obtain a Certificate of Divorce (VS-300). You MUST type this form and sign it as “Attorney for the Plaintiff” in black ink.

File the VS-300, or Certificate of Divorce, with 1A, 2, 2A, 2C, 3A, case data sheet, 4, and 5A (9 if needed).

Give spouse copies of 1A, 2, 2A, 3A, case data sheet, 4 and 5A.

This should be the last step that you need to complete, unless you hear otherwise from a member of the court.

You are not divorced until you have received the Decree of Dissolution back from the Court, signed by the judge and entered by the Court. This will come in the mail.

IF YOU NEED TO SERVE YOUR SPOUSE WITH PAPERS:

File Divorce with 1A, 2A, case data sheet, cert. of divorce (VS-300), summons, (9 if needed). If you are able to pay your court costs, you need to send a copy of 1A, 2A and a summons to your spouse by certified mail. You can ask the Family Court clerk where the mail room is, and send it from there.

If you are not able to pay your court costs, you need to wait 2 weeks to find out if your motion to proceed without paying went through(9). If it is not approved you will need to pay costs within 10 days, and you need to send a copy of 1A, 2A and a summons to your spouse by certified mail at that time.

Wait 2 weeks. Call 595-3025 to see that spouse has been served.

If you know the address of your spouse, but believe that your spouse will try to avoid service you may serve your spouse by sheriff. You will need to make copies of 1A, 2A, and the summons and give them to the sheriff to serve your spouse. The Jefferson County Family Court Clerk will inform you where the sheriff is located. There will be a $50 fee for this service.

20 days after your spouse has been served you may log back onto the online divorce program to finish your forms.

You are not divorced until you have filed your second set of forms and then received the Decree of Dissolution back from the Court, signed by the judge and entered by the Court. This will come in the mail.

IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOUR SPOUSE IS LOCATED:

After you have completed your interview and printed your divorce forms, you need to read over them very carefully. Make sure that all the information is correct and current. Do not sign your forms until you are with a notary. Take your forms to your bank, the Legal Aid Society, or other source to have them notarized. You cannot file your forms at the Family Court Clerk without signing them in front of a notary. You will sign as the petitioner.

File Divorce with 1A, 2A, case data sheet, cert. of divorce (VS-300), and Form 7, Affidavit for Warning Order Attorney (9 if needed).

You may have to wait 2 weeks to find out if your motion to proceed without paying went through (Form #9). If it is not approved you will need to pay costs within 10 days. The warning order attorney will cost somewhere around $75.

If the warning order attorney is appointed, he/she is allowed 50 days to try to locate your spouse, and will file a report at the end of this time period. Fifty days after the appointment of the warning order attorney you should log back on to the online divorce program and finish your forms.