California Courts: Self-Help Center: Families & Children: Divorce, Legal Separation & Annulment: Get a Divorce, Legal Separation, or Annulment: Guide for an Uncontested Case for Divorce, Legal Separation, or Annulment: Step 1: Start Your Case for People Who Are Married

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Step 1: Start Your Case for People Who Are Married

Step 1: Start Your Case for People Who Are Domestic Partners

Step 2: Serve Your First Set of Court Forms

Step 3: Serve Your Disclosure Forms

Step 4: Finish Your Family Law Case

Step 5: File the Judgment Forms

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You are here: Families & Children > Divorce, Legal Separation & Annulment > Get a Divorce, Legal Separation, or Annulment > Guide for an Uncontested Case for Divorce, Legal Separation, or Annulment > Step 1: Start Your Case for People Who Are Married

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Forms You Need to Start Your Case

Local Forms

Check and Copy Your Completed Forms

File Your Forms With the Court Clerk

Forms You Need to Start Your Case
You must fill out and file 2 forms to start your case. If you have children, there are 3 forms.

In some cases, there are more forms. Usually, these forms tell the court that is involved in the case and what you are asking the court to do. The forms you must use are listed below. To download a form (in PDF format), click on a form number in the table below:

Fillable Form	Form Name	Purpose	Instructions
FL-100	Petition-Marriage (Family Law)	To start a family law case. Lists dates, children, property, debts.	Instructions for form FL-100
FL-110	Summons (Family Law)	Tells your spouse that a court case has started and what will happen if he or she doesn't respond in 30 days.	Instructions for form FL-110
If you have children under the age of 18 with your spouse, fill out form FL-105 and file it with your petition.
Fillable Form	Form Name	Purpose	Instructions
FL-105/GC-120	Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA)	Tells the judge who the children have been living with and if any other custody orders exist that involve this case.	Instructions for form FL-105
If you need more room on your petition to list your property and debts, use the following form.
Fillable Form	Form Name	Purpose	Instructions
FL-160	Property Declaration (Family Law)	Lists each item of property and debt and whether you think it is community or separate property	Instructions for form FL-160

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Local Forms
Some courts ask you to fill out local forms. Contact your court clerk's office, a family law facilitator or a lawyer to ask about your county's local forms. Click here for help finding a lawyer.

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Check and Copy Your Completed Forms
Fill out your forms. Check them over. Then make at least 3 copies of each form. One set of copies will be served on your spouse (see Step 2), and 2 sets are for your records.

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File Your Forms With the Court Clerk
Bring the originals and copies of your forms to your court clerk's office. A clerk will review them.

If there are no obvious errors, the clerk will take the original of each form. The clerk will ask you to pay a fee to file your papers. If you can't afford the fee, you can ask for a fee waiver. Click here for more information about court fees and fee waivers.

Alert! If your spouse lives in another state or country with any of your minor children, talk to a lawyer before you file any papers.

If you want the judge to make temporary orders for child or spousal support, bill payment, protection from domestic violence, or other issues, you must fill out and file other forms. Talk to your family law facilitator to ask for help with temporary orders.

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