Finding the right resources for your state
Family law in the United States is state law. The single most useful thing you can do is find your own state’s official material rather than relying on a national summary.
The four sources worth finding
Your state court’s self-help center
Almost every state court system runs one. It is the authoritative place for the official divorce forms, filing instructions, current filing fees and the procedural steps in order. Search for your state’s judicial branch or court system by name, and look for self-help, family law or divorce. Be sure you are on a .gov or official state judiciary domain.
Your county court
Procedure is often set locally on top of state rules. Your county court may have its own forms, its own filing requirements, a mandatory parenting class, or a local mediation program. Check at county level as well as state level, because this is where people most often get caught out.
Your state child support calculator
Every state publishes a guideline and, in most cases, an official calculator, usually through the state child support agency or the courts. Use the official one. Third-party calculators are frequently out of date and none of them are what a court will apply. See child support.
Legal aid and self-help organisations
If cost is a barrier, most states have a legal aid organisation, and many county bar associations run lawyer referral services offering a low-cost initial consultation. Some courts have a self-help facilitator who can help with forms, though they cannot give legal advice. Availability and eligibility differ everywhere, so ask locally.
What to be careful of online
- Sites that sell forms. Your state’s official forms are almost always free from the court.
- National articles that do not say which state they describe. Property rules and support formulas are not national.
- Old material. Statutes change, and support guidelines are periodically revised. Check the date.
- Anything promising a fixed outcome or a guaranteed result. Nobody can promise that.
Questions worth asking your court
- Is there a residency requirement before I can file here, and how long is it?
- Is there a waiting period before a divorce can be finalised?
- Is mediation required before a contested hearing about children?
- Is a parenting class required, and if so which providers are accepted?
- What is the current filing fee, and is a fee waiver available?
We deliberately do not reproduce state-by-state figures here. Filing fees, waiting periods and support guidelines change, and an out-of-date figure on a website is worse than no figure at all. Your state court and child support agency publish the current position.
Not sure what the terms mean?
The glossary covers the vocabulary you will meet on the official forms.