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Our simple 4-step
process

1
Check if you qualify
Find out if you and your circumstances are eligible for our easy divorce process.
2
Complete the questionnaire
Our questionnaire guides you through filling out divorce paperwork.
3
Review your forms
Review your personalized legal documents before final submission.
4
File for divorce
Take the final step towards your new beginning with detailed filing instructions.

Over 500,000 people
have used OnlineDivorce

For over 24 years, we’ve empowered individuals to get quick and stress-free divorces while saving money in the process.

5 stars

I started my divorce on my own, spending loads of money on lawyer visits in the beginning. So I decided to google for other ways and using this site was so much more simple!

Wesley H.
Wesley H. Missouri
5 stars

I had a very successful business at the time. So, making sure I had the right forms was very very important during my divorce. I was so surprised at how easy and smooth this process was.

James V.
James V. Texas
5 stars

After years of a tumultuous marriage, I finally decided that I needed to reclaim my life. I was looking for how to go about it and came across this site and they simplified and made the process of divorce easy for me. I never thought it would’ve been possible.

Chloe J.
Chloe J. Florida
5 stars

Stress-free and easy! I was initially gonna hire a lawyer but I found online divorce the next best option. No muss, no fuss divorce. No big legal words that I’d have to have read 10 times to understand!

Will S.
Will S. Colorado
5 stars

California is expensive and divorce can be even more expensive in the end but I can say that this site payed everything out for me to follow, from child support to alimony. My ex agreed to go this way as well so it was a much less expensive option for us.

Marco P.
Marco P. California
5 stars

Because of the whole dissolution of the marriage, I was struggling with two children and just in limbo with my husband at the time because of child support and alimony. I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 years. I just want to say that this site helped me sort it out. Thank you.

Tamara B.
Tamara B. Nevada
5 stars

I live in upstate NY and unfortunately one day I found myself in a situation for divorce. I was all out of whack, needed answers to take action. Enough was enough so I did it on this site. Everything was clear to understand, all forms and what to put in which box.

Theresa S.
Theresa S. New York
5 stars

Onlinedivorce.com is the bomb! I mean, using it was so easy to follow. So, if you find yourself in this situation do your divorce here if possible. Documents for all stages, alimony, child support and all!

Livy B.
Livy B. Illinois

It's less expensive

Contested divorces can cost on average $11,000 in lawyer
fees. OnlineDivorce is fast, affordable, and simple.

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An easy and quick method to prepare for uncontested divorce online and get high-quality divorce papers

  • A complete packet of divorce documents at a low cost
  • Fast preparation of all court forms within 2 business days
  • Thorough instructions explaining how to start a divorce
  • Convenient to use from any device at any time
  • Responsive customer email, chat, and phone support

Divorce with a Lawyer

>$11,000 On average

Divorce with a lawyer can be adversarial, lengthy, inconvenient and
costly

  • Litigated divorces are extremely expensive - $11,000 on average
  • They take longer to get finalized - up to a few years
  • Little or no control over the divorce outcome
  • Litigation ignites more conflicts between the parties
  • Prolonged court trials negatively affect children

Support for
all types of divorces

Every divorce is different, but with Onlinedivorce you
can personalize your assistance for every aspect of your online divorce.

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Online Divorce in Pennsylvania

For those seeking an inexpensive divorce in the state of Pennsylvania, online divorce is an easy, affordable, and fast solution to prepare legal forms. Online divorce may be appropriate for couples who have an uncontested case. The step-by-step process of preparing divorce documents at Onlinedivorce.com makes it easy for you. We help organize all of the necessary divorce forms and provide detailed written instructions on filing your divorce in Pennsylvania.

Our divorce documents preparation service can be a perfect solution for those who want to complete their divorce papers quickly and without stress. Even though Pennsylvania has unique divorce forms and filing requirements, our online system can provide you with exactly what you need and provide instructions on how to file. We have helped thousands of people prepare their divorce documents for filing.

If you and your spouse agree on the terms of the divorce and want an amicable dissolution to your marriage, why should the process get drawn out, and why should you spend money on lawyers? Online divorce is often cheaper, quicker, and easier. Online divorce can be a perfect option if you want to save money or hope to have your divorce finalized quickly to get on with your life.

Preparing documents for divorce online in Pennsylvania is fast becoming very popular because you can complete the documents in the comfort of your home.

Even if you think your case is too complex because you have children, own your own home, or have other assets, you may still be able to prepare your documents online. Just start with our simple questionnaire, and we’ll provide you instructions for each step of the way.

The process at OnlineDivorce.com is 100% secure. We protect your information, and nothing is filed until you submit the divorce papers to the courthouse yourself. Filing for divorce in Pennsylvania with the Onlinedivorce.com system can be a simple solution to a difficult situation.

Filing:

When you use OnlineDivorce.com, we help you fill out your divorce paperwork using a simple online questionnaire. You can fill it out alone or with the assistance of your spouse. Then, after getting the other spouse’s signature, the divorce forms may be filed at the local court.

In Pennsylvania, you will typically file with the courthouse in the county in which you currently reside. If a petitioner is not currently a resident but a defendant is, divorce is typically filed in the county where the defendant resides. The actual filing process is explained in our detailed court-filing instructions that we provide, along with your completed divorce forms. You can also obtain assistance from your local courthouse by calling or stopping by.

After the initial filing, you may need to follow up if there are any issues with your documents. When you use OnlineDivorce.com, we allow you to make minor adjustments to your forms as requested by the court at no additional charge. Our goal is to help you obtain your divorce with as little hassle and stress as possible using our online divorce documents preparation service.

Residency:

Every state has specific requirements where divorcing couples must establish residency before filing for divorce. Pennsylvania is no exception.

Either of the spouses must have been a resident of the state of Pennsylvania for at least six months before filing for divorce. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Section 3104]

The divorce may be filed in a county:

  • where the defendant resides;
  • where the plaintiff resides if the defendant resides outside of this Commonwealth;
  • of matrimonial domicile, if the plaintiff has continuously resided in the county;
  • where the plaintiff resides with the agreement of the defendant;
  • where either party resides if neither party continues to reside in the county of matrimonial domicile; or
  • where either party resides if six months have passed after the date of final separation. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Section 3104]

There are many ways to prove that residency has been established. The easiest way is if one or both spouses have a valid and current Pennsylvania driver’s license, ID card, or voter’s registration card issued at least six months before filing for divorce. If this is not the case, it may be possible to establish residency by having someone who knows you or your spouse testify that you have lived in the state for at least six months.

Additionally, it may be possible to use an Affidavit of Corroborating Witness form as proof you’ve lived in the state for a minimum of six months. As for proving residency within a specific county, it varies from county to county in Pennsylvania. More information will be provided as you work through the process of filling out your questionnaire on OnlineDivorce.com.

Valid grounds to get divorce in Pennsylvania

Grounds for an online divorce using OnlineDivorce.com are the same as they would be for any divorce within the State of Pennsylvania. Grounds are merely the reason for divorce, and the state must approve them.

 

No-fault grounds are for a dissolution of the marriage, and in Pennsylvania, include:

 

  • Irretrievable breakdown of the marriage with the spouses living separate and apart without cohabitation for one year or longer; or
  • Irretrievable breakdown of a marriage and the spouses have both filed affidavits to consent to the divorce moving forward.

In the case of no-fault ground:

 

  • The court may delay the case for 90 to 120 days if it appears that there is a reasonable chance for reconciliation; and
  • 90 days must elapse after the filing for divorce before the court will grant a divorce. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Section 3301]

General reasons for divorce in Pennsylvania include:

 

  • Adultery (infidelity);
  • Bigamy;
  • Imprisonment for two or more years;
  • Confinement for incurable insan­ity for 18 months;
  • Willful desertion for one year;
  • Cruel and inhuman treatment endangering the life of the spouse; and
  • Personal indignities. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Section 3301 and Pennsylvania Case Law]

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Custody of the child in Pennsylvania

Joint legal or physical or sole custody may be awarded based on the best interests of the child and upon a consideration of the following factors:

  • Which parent is the most likely to encourage, permit, and allow frequent, meaningful, and continuing contact, including physical access between the other parent and the child;
  • Whether either parent has engaged in any type of violent, criminally sexual, abusive, or harassing behavior towards family members or others;
  • The preferences of the child or children; and
  • Any factor that affects the child’s physical, intellectual, or emotional well-being.

Both parents can be required to attend counseling sessions regarding child custody and how it affects the family. The recommendations of the counselor may be used in determining child custody. In shared custody situations, the court may also require the parents to submit a written plan for child custody to the court.

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Rules for child support in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, both parents have a financial responsibility to support their children. A Pennsylvania child support order requires a parent to make a monthly payment to cover the cost of raising a child.

A child support award is based on Pennsylvania child support guidelines. The guidelines are simply a fee schedule of basic child support obligations. The awarding of child support is based on the following facts:

  • certain additional expenses the parties may incur for the care of a child;
  • other support obligations;
  • other household income;
  • the child's age;
  • the number of children covered by the support order;
  • the relative assets and liabilities of the parents;
  • medical expenses not covered by insurance;
  • standard of living; and
  • other factors, including the best interests of the child.

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Property division in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is an “equitable distribution” state. The separate property stays with its owner and includes:

  • Property acquired before the marriage;
  • Property received in exchange for any separate property;
  • Any gifts and in­heritances the spouses may have received; and
  • Any property designated as separate in a valid agreement between the spouses will be retained by the spouse owning it.

All other marital property will be divided equitably, without regard to any marital misconduct, based on the following factors:

  • The contribution or dissipation of each spouse to the acquisition, preservation, depreciation, or appreciation of the marital property, including the contribution of each spouse as homemaker;
  • The age and health of the spouses;
  • The vocational skills of the spouses;
  • The value of each spouse’s property;
  • The economic circumstances of each spouse at the time the division of property is to become effective;
  • The duration of the marriage;
  • The ongoing tax consequences to each spouse;
  • The amount and sources of income of the spouses, including retirement and any other benefits;
  • The continued employability of the spouses;
  • The liabilities and needs of each spouse and the opportunity of each for further acquisition of capital assets and income;
  • The standard of living which was established during the marriage;
  • Whether a spouse will have custody of any minor children;
  • Any contributions that were made to the education, training, or increased earning power of the other spouse;
  • Any prior marital obligations; and
  • Any other factor necessary to do equity and fairness between the spouses.

The court may require a spouse to purchase or maintain life insurance and name the other spouse as beneficiary. Both spouses will be required to submit an inventory and appraisal of their property. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Sections 3501, 3502, and 3505]

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Rules for spousal support in Pennsylvania

Alimony, sometimes referred to as spousal support, may be ordered by the court to help a spouse live and comfortably exist in a manner established during the marriage after the divorce. Assistance may be decided upon by the couple before filing, or the court may award it in a contested divorce case.

Alimony may be awarded to either spouse if necessary. In determining the alimony award, the following factors are considered:

  • Whether the spouse who seeks alimony lacks sufficient property to provide for his or her own needs;
  • Whether the spouse is unable to be self-supporting through appropriate employment for any reason;
  • Whether the spouse who seeks alimony is the primary caregiver of a child;
  • The time necessary to acquire sufficient education and training to enable the spouse to find ap­propriate employment and that spouse’s future earning capacity;
  • Any ongoing tax consequences;
  • The standard of living established during the marriage;
  • The length of the marriage;
  • The financial resources of the spouse seeking alimony, including marital property apportioned to such spouse and such spouse’s separate property;
  • The comparative financial resources of the spouses;
  • The needs and obligations of each spouse;
  • The contribution of each spouse to the marriage, including services rendered in homemaking;
  • The current age of the spouses;
  • The physical, mental, and emotional conditions of the spouses;
  • The probable duration of the need of the spouse seeking support and alimony;
  • The educational level of each spouse at the time they were married and the time necessary for the spouse to acquire sufficient education to find ap­propriate employment;
  • The contribution by one spouse to the education, training, or increased earning power of the other spouse;
  • The spouse’s sources of income, including medical, insurance, retirement benefits, inheritances, assets, and liabilities, and any property brought into the marriage by either spouse;
  • Any infidelity or marital misconduct; and
  • Any other factor the court deems fair and equitable.

There are official spousal support guidelines that are now in use in Pennsylvania. These would be presumed correct unless there is a statement show­ing that the amount would be somehow unjust or inappropriate under the particular circumstances of a case. Alimony payments may be ordered to be paid through the Domestic Relations Section of the court. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Sections 3701, 3702, 3704, and 3706]

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Mediation support in Pennsylvania

If the court decides that there could be a reasonable chance for reconciliation, it may require the spouses to seek counseling for some time between 90 and 120 days. At the request of one of the spouses, up to three counseling sessions may be required. If no reconciliation agreement is reached and one of the spouses states that the marriage is broken beyond repair, a divorce will be granted.

Counseling sessions can also be ordered by the court due to a child custody case and are mandatory if a parent has been convicted of any violent or abusive crime. [Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Annotated; Title 23, Sections 3302 and 5303]

For those seeking to prepare their divorce papers using OnlineDivorce.com, utilizing divorce mediation can be a great tool to smooth out disagreements and prevent the case from going to court. It can be the simplest way to assure a fast, easy and affordable online divorce.

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Divorce Forms in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania forms produced by OnlineDivorce.com are court-approved divorce forms. We have automated filling out paperwork to simplify matters and avoid any difficulties that may occur with filling out paperwork alone. By utilizing OnlineDivorce.com, you can simplify preparing divorce documents and help both parties move forward with their lives.

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Filing fees for divorce in Pennsylvania

When you file your divorce papers, the court will charge filing fees that may vary by county. These costs are in addition to the cost of using OnlineDivorce.com. Please check with your local courthouse to determine the exact amount.

How long will it take?

Using the OnlineDivorce.com service usually takes between 30 minutes and two hours or more, depending on the complexity of your case. Start by filling out the questionnaire. You can do it in one sitting or save your progress and complete it at a later date. Whatever is most convenient for you.

Once you’ve received the completed documents, you will need to file them and get your spouse’s signature. You’ll receive more information regarding the finalization of the divorce case once the paperwork has been completed and submitted to the courts.

Divorce in Pennsylvania

Here is how OnlineDivorce.com makes completing divorce papers easier:

  • We provide the full divorce packet required by the local court - clients do not need to drive to their local courthouse to get the blank forms or search for the right divorce forms online. In rare cases, local county forms can vary in color, paper material, size, or bar code, so they may need to be obtained directly from the county clerk's office.
  • We complete the necessary forms for clients based on their answers given in a simple guided online interview - clients do not need to understand family law or read through complicated instructions to figure out how to fill out the forms themselves.
  • We give detailed, easy to follow step-by-step instructions for filing a divorce with the court - so the client knows exactly what to do to get his/her divorce finalized.
  • We provide unlimited technical support - if a client needs assistance through the online process, he/she can always reach out to us via phone, email, or live chat, and we'll do our best to help.
  • We save our clients time and money - if divorcing spouses agree regarding the terms of their divorce, they typically don’t have to pay thousands to a lawyer to handle their divorce forms and don't need to spend hours trying to do it all by themselves.
Frequently Asked Questions

In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, people are eligible to represent themselves in legal cases, including the dissolution of a marriage.

Such a divorce without a lawyer is subject to the same laws and rules as a legally-assisted divorce. The only distinction is that in a DIY divorce, the spouses take responsibility for completing the paperwork, resolving all the disputed issues, and any consequences of divorce.

Therefore, law experts usually do not recommend this option in contested divorces or cases where child-related matters or property division are at issue due to their complexity and high risks.

Do-it-yourself divorce can be a beneficial way to arrange the procedure for couples who agree about the key aspects of their separation.

An agreement gives a clear vision of what to expect from divorce, making it easier to handle it independently, or at least with limited-scope assistance, or using online divorce services.

Filing for divorce in Pennsylvania without a lawyer is the same as when the spouses seek legal assistance. The only difference is that in a DIY divorce, the spouses are responsible for the paperwork preparation.

To apply for divorce in Pennsylvania, the plaintiff (also called the petitioner) shall select the legal forms required under the circumstances of a particular divorce case, fill them out correctly, and file a complaint in the Common Pleas court.
At the moment of filing, the plaintiff should also pay a court filing fee, and thus, the divorce case officially starts.

Next, the spouse seeking a divorce has to notify the second party (called the defendant) about the case by delivering them copies of the documents.
This is called the serving process, and it has its peculiarities. For instance, though divorce forms must be handed to the defendant, the petitioner cannot do it personally. Instead, one can deliver the papers by mail or using a deputy sheriff's services or any adult who is not a party to the case.

More detailed rules concerning the serving process are outlined in Pennsylvania Family Law.

The cost of any divorce in Pennsylvania starts with the court filing fee (about $150). All the other expenses vary greatly depending on the type of divorce, any legal assistance the spouses use, and specialists they hire through different dissolution process stages.

Thus, it may be supposed that one of the most affordable ways to terminate the marriage is to arrange a DIY divorce. The spouses who have agreed about all the essential terms of their separation can proceed without an attorney and use the OnlineDivorce.com service to complete paperwork easier and faster.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, like other US states, requires that a couple intending to terminate a marriage meet the specific residency requirements of the jurisdiction before filing for divorce.

Thus, according to the Pennsylvania Code, at least one of the spouses must be a bona fide resident in Pennsylvania for at least six months before filing the petition.

In Pennsylvania, a divorce procedure officially starts when the defendant is served with the divorce papers. The defendant then has time to respond to the papers.

Under the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, both spouses shall wait ninety days from the service of the Complaint before filing the consent forms.

A completely free divorce in Pennsylvania is, in theory, available only if the petitioner qualifies for a fee waiver due to financial hardship and does not seek the help of attorneys or any other services.

To waive the court filing fees, the petitioner can prove to the court that he/she cannot afford to pay the fees and file a Petition to Proceed In Forma Pauperis with the court.

In all other cases, the dissolution procedure is not free, though an uncontested divorce without a lawyer can be much cheaper.

The Pennsylvania legal forms typically required in an uncontested divorce case include but not be limited to:

  • Notice to Defend and Divorce Complaint
  • Acceptance of Service
  • Certificate of Service
  • Divorce Decree
  • Marital Settlement Agreement.
  • Affidavit of Consent of Plaintiff
  • Affidavit of Consent of Defendant
  • Waiver of Notice for Defendant
  • Notice of Intention to Request Entry of Section, Divorce Decree, and Counter-Affidavit