Divorce in Wyoming

How to file for divorce in Wyoming

1. Check residency. 60 days in Wyoming immediately before filing (no separate county requirement).
2. Prepare and file the Complaint for Divorce with the District Court in your county. The filing fee is typically $120 to $160, 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 exchange Initial Disclosures within 30 days of the answer deadline and file a Confidential Financial Affidavit (plus a Confidential Statement for Child Support Order if there are minor children).
5. Settle the issues in a written agreement, and a parenting plan if you have children.
6. Wait out the waiting period. 20 days from the date the Complaint for Divorce is filed. Then ask the court for your final judgment.

Residency and grounds

Residency: 60 days in Wyoming immediately before filing (no separate county requirement).

Grounds: No-fault and fault. Most people still file on no-fault grounds, which is simpler and usually cheaper.

Separation: None required for the irreconcilable-differences ground.

How property is divided

Wyoming 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: Wyoming uses the terms joint legal custody and joint physical custody. Every decision is made in the child's best interests.

Parenting class: Not required automatically; the Wyoming Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course may be ordered at the judge's discretion in cases involving minor children.

Child support: Wyoming 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

Wyoming alimony has no statutory formula and automatically ends on the recipient's remarriage or death unless the decree says otherwise.

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

Faster and simpler options

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

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

How long it takes

The minimum is set by the waiting period: 20 days from the date the Complaint for Divorce is filed. A typical timeline is 6 to 12 weeks uncontested; several months to over a year if contested. Agreement is what moves the date most; contested cases add months of disclosures, discovery and hearings.

Worth knowing in Wyoming

• At 20 days from filing, Wyoming has one of the shortest mandatory waiting periods in the country.
• Since July 1, 2025, courts must presume shared custody with substantially equal time unless the parties agree otherwise or an exception applies.
• Wyoming does not recognize common-law marriage.

Official resources

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

• wyocourts.gov

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