How to File an Uncontested Divorce in Oregon

You can only start a divorce in Oregon if you or your spouse has lived in Oregon for six months or you were married in Oregon. Oregon has other filing rules as well.

It's usually not a good idea to rush to finalize your divorce agreement with the court. Take a little extra time to ensure it's fair and done right. Once your agreement is finalized, it's tough to change it.

Next, you or your spouse must complete the paperwork to start your Oregon divorce. You can get this paperwork for free from the Oregon Judicial Department website. The forms you need are called:

• "Co-Party Petition"

• "Summons Family Law Case"

• "Record of Dissolution of Marriage or Registered Domestic Partnership"

• "Confidential Information Form" (CIF) (you need two, one for you, one for your spouse)

• "Notice of CIF Filing"

Next, one of you needs to complete another set of paperwork to finalize your divorce. The forms you need are called:

• "Declaration in Support of Judgment"

• "General Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage"

You can get these forms on the Oregon Judicial Department site as well.

It's a guide idea to have a lawyer review your paperwork. Involving a lawyer can prevent future problems, especially if you have property or debts to divide in your divorce. While this step may cost several hundred dollars, it's usually worth it.

After you've completed your forms, you need to file them at one of Oregon's circuit courts. You can file in the county where you live or where your spouse lives. You'll also need to pay a filing fee of $301 or ask for a waiver of this fee if you can't afford to pay it.

Once your divorce papers are signed by a judge, you're officially divorced! Be sure to get a "certified copy" of your divorce judgment from the court. You may need this to do things like: 

• Update insurance policies
• Get new identification (if you went back to a former name in your divorce)
• Transfer property
• Deal with joint debts