Divorce in Minnesota

How to file for divorce in Minnesota

1. Check residency. 180 days (6 months) of Minnesota residency immediately before filing.
2. Prepare and file the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the District Court in your county. The filing fee is typically $390 to $402, and you can ask for a fee waiver if you cannot afford it.
3. Serve your spouse, or have them sign an acceptance of service, and file proof of service.
4. Exchange financial disclosures. Both spouses must fully disclose their income, assets, debts, and expenses to each other and the court.
5. Settle the issues in a written agreement, and a parenting plan if you have children.
6. Wait out the waiting period. No mandatory waiting period after filing for a standard dissolution; it is final once the court administrator enters the Judgment and Decree (a Summary Dissolution has its own 30-day wait). Then ask the court for your final judgment.

Residency and grounds

Residency: 180 days (6 months) of Minnesota residency immediately before filing.

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

Separation: None required; the only ground is that the marriage has suffered an irretrievable breakdown.

How property is divided

Minnesota 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: Minnesota uses the terms legal custody, physical custody, and parenting time. Every decision is made in the child's best interests.

Parenting class: Not detailed as a uniform statewide statutory requirement on the state self-help site.

Child support: Minnesota 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

Minnesota spousal maintenance is decided case by case with no statutory formula, and maintenance rights are preserved for both spouses even under the Summary Dissolution procedure.

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

Faster and simpler options

Summary Dissolution: Available under Minn. Stat. 518.195 when the couple was married fewer than 8 years, has no living minor children together and no pregnancy, owns no real estate, has combined marital assets and separate property each under $25,000, has no more than $8,000 of marital debt (excluding vehicle loans), and neither spouse has been a victim of domestic abuse by the other; the decree enters 30 days after filing a notarized joint declaration.

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

How long it takes

The minimum is set by the waiting period: no mandatory waiting period after filing for a standard dissolution; it is final once the court administrator enters the Judgment and Decree (a Summary Dissolution has its own 30-day wait). A typical timeline is 3 to 6 months for a typical uncontested case. Agreement is what moves the date most; contested cases add months of disclosures, discovery and hearings.

Worth knowing in Minnesota

• Minnesota's Summary Dissolution is a real but narrow option; most couples with any real estate or notable savings will not qualify.
• Filing fees vary by judicial district and run about $390 to $402, with Hennepin County (Minneapolis) at $402.
• Minnesota legal separation has no residency requirement, unlike the 180-day requirement for dissolution.

Official resources

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

• mncourts.gov
• mncourts.gov
• revisor.mn.gov

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