Divorce in Kentucky

How to file for divorce in Kentucky

1. Check residency. 180 days of continuous Kentucky residency immediately before filing.
2. Check any separation requirement. Spouses must live apart (or in the same home without sexual cohabitation) for 60 days before the decree can be entered.
3. Prepare and file the Verified Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the Circuit Court (Family Division in counties that have one) in your county. The filing fee is typically $188, and you can ask for a fee waiver if you cannot afford it.
4. Serve your spouse, or have them sign an acceptance of service, and file proof of service.
5. Exchange financial disclosures. Parties must exchange a Preliminary Verified Disclosure Statement within 45 days of service.
6. Settle the issues in a written agreement, and a parenting plan if you have children.
7. Wait out the waiting period. A 60-day period (generally running from filing/service) must pass before a judge may enter the final decree. Then ask the court for your final judgment.

Residency and grounds

Residency: 180 days of continuous Kentucky residency immediately before filing.

Grounds: No-fault only. You do not need to prove anyone did anything wrong.

Separation: Spouses must live apart (or in the same home without sexual cohabitation) for 60 days before the decree can be entered.

How property is divided

Kentucky uses equitable distribution. Marital property and debts are divided fairly, which often lands near equal but not always. Courts weigh things like the length of the marriage, each spouse's income and earning capacity, and contributions as a homemaker. Read how property is divided.

Custody and child support

Parenting terms: Kentucky uses the terms custody and timesharing. Every decision is made in the child's best interests.

Parenting class: Varies by county; not a uniform statewide statutory requirement.

Child support: Kentucky uses the income shares model, which combines both parents' incomes, estimates what parents at that income usually spend on children, and divides that amount by each parent's share of income. Try the child support calculator.

Spousal support

Kentucky spousal maintenance under KRS 403.200 has no set formula; courts weigh factors like marriage length, age, health, and each spouse's financial resources on a discretionary basis.

Estimate a range with the spousal support calculator, then have a lawyer check it if the numbers are large.

Faster and simpler options

Kentucky does not have a separate simplified procedure, but an uncontested divorce with a signed agreement is fast and inexpensive.

Legal separation: available in Kentucky, for couples who want support and parenting orders without ending the marriage.

How long it takes

The minimum is set by the waiting period: a 60-day period (generally running from filing/service) must pass before a judge may enter the final decree. A typical timeline is 3 to 5 months after the mandatory 60-day waiting period. Agreement is what moves the date most; contested cases add months of disclosures, discovery and hearings.

Worth knowing in Kentucky

• The statewide base circuit court civil filing fee is $188 per Kentucky Supreme Court order; added local fees (service, law library) can push actual cost higher.
• Kentucky courts start from a rebuttable presumption that both parents should share roughly equal timesharing.
• Kentucky is a strict no-fault state; irretrievable breakdown of the marriage is the only ground for dissolution.

Official resources

Official forms and instructions come from Kentucky's courts. Sources we reviewed:

• kycourts.gov
• kycourts.gov
• womenslaw.org

Last reviewed September 2026. Laws and fees change; confirm with your court before you file.