After hiring an experienced divorce lawyer, the first step in obtaining a divorce is preparing the necessary paperwork and filing it with the state court that has proper jurisdiction. This begins the legal process and ensures that the other spouse will be notified about the divorce proceedings.

Generally, each state requires the spouse seeking divorce to file a Petition for Divorce (in some states called a Petition for Dissolution), which begins the divorce proceedings. Most states have different forms depending on whether the divorce is contested or uncontested or if there are children involved. As a result, some or all of the following forms may also be necessary:

• Motion for Fee Waiver
• Requests for temporary or provisional orders
• Statements of marital and non-marital assets and debts
• Forms related to children and custody
• Forms disclosing any potential domestic abuse
• Submitting the actual Separation Agreement or Divorce Decree for the judge's approval

Each state has a different form for filing a divorce, and many states put their forms online for their residents' convenience. The forms are available at the links in the following table.

Additionally, RocketLawyer contains helpful information regarding what forms and information are necessary for filing a divorce, and provides a worksheet that can be particularly helpful for organizing necessary information before meeting with a divorce lawyer.