Prepared by U.S. Legal Forms, Inc.
Copyright 2016 - U.S. Legal Forms, Inc.
STATE OF OHIO
DIVORCE PACKAGE
NO MINOR CHILDREN
UNCONTESTED
Control Number: OH-008-D
This packet contains the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Information about Divorce
Form List
Form Explanations
Instructions and Steps
Checklist
Access to Law Summary
You and your spouse must agree to all terms of the divorce to use this packet.
INFORMATION ABOUT DIVORCE
1.
WHO CAN USE THESE FORMS: This packet is for the sole purpose of obtaining an
uncontested divorce. In Ohio, an uncontested (agreed) divorce is known as“dissolution
of marriage.” This packet is only of use to you if you and your spouse are willing to
agree to all the terms and conditions of your divorce. You must work and communicate
with your spouse and keep him or her advised as to each step in the process. If the two
of you cannot agree, you will become involved in a contested divorce, and this packet
cannot help you.
2.
THE BASICS: You must agree with your spouse to dissolve the marriage, and agree to
all the terms of the dissolution of marriage in filling out the forms, including property
division. You will complete and file the forms (see detailed instructions, below) in the
Court of Common Pleas for the county in which you choose to file the dissolution (the
county of either your or your spouse’s residence). You will go before the judge with
your spouse and the judge may question you as to certain matters, and likely approve the
dissolution of your marriage if all is in order.
3.
RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS: In actions for Dissolution of Marriage (agreed,
uncontested divorce), the filing party or his/her spouse must have resided in the State of
Ohio for at least six months immediately prior to the filing of the petition for dissolution.
4.
GROUNDS FOR DISSOLUTION OF MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE: A marriage
may be terminated in the State of Ohio in two different ways. The first way a marriage
may be terminated, and the focus of this package, is through the Dissolution procedures.
To obtain a decree of Dissolution, the parties must agree upon every issue related to their
marriage. This means the parties must agree on issues of division of property and debts,
custody, child support, and spousal support. The parties must then memorialize the
agreement in the form of a Separation Agreement.
The second method of terminating a marriage is through the Divorce procedures. The
Court may grant divorces for the following causes:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
Either party had a husband or wife living at the time of the marriage from
which the divorce is sought;
Willful absence of the adverse party for one year;
Adultery;
Extreme cruelty;
Fraudulent contract;
Any gross neglect of duty;
Habitual drunkenness;
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
Imprisonment of the adverse party in a state or federal correctional
institution at the time of filing the complaint;
Procurement of a divorce outside this state, by a husband or wife, by
virtue of which the party who procured it is released from the obligations
of the marriage, while those obligations remain binding upon the other
party;
On the application of either party, when husband and wife have, without
interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation;
Incompatibility, unless denied by either party. § 3105.01
This package is only for use by parties seeking to terminate their marriage through
the Dissolution of Marriage procedure. The material presented on Divorce is solely
for information purposes.
5.
LEGAL SEPARATION: A legal separation is a Court proceeding used by parties who
wish to remain married but live separate lives. The Court may issue a decree of legal
separation for the following causes:
(l)
(m)
(n)
(o)
(p)
(q)
(r)
(s)
(t)
(u)
Either party had a husband or wife living at the time of the marriage from
which legal separation is sought;
Willful absence of the adverse party for one year;
Adultery;
Extreme cruelty;
Fraudulent contract;
Any gross neglect of duty;
Habitual drunkenness;
Imprisonment of the adverse party in a state or federal correctional
institution at the time of filing the complaint;
On the application of either party, when husband and wife have, without
interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation;
Incompatibility, unless denied by either party.
This package does not contain forms for a legal separation.
6.
WAITING PERIOD: No action for divorce may be heard and decided until the
expiration of forty-two days after the service of process or twenty-eight days after the
last publication of notice of the complaint, and no action for divorce shall be heard and
decided earlier than twenty-eight days after the service of a counterclaim, which under
this rule may be designated a cross-complaint, unless the plaintiff files a written waiver
of the twenty-eight day period.
7.
ALIMONY/SUPPORT: Since this is an agreed upon Dissolution of Marriage
proceeding, you and your spouse will decide issues of alimony. The forms assume that
no alimony will be paid and is waived but you may add provisions for alimony if you
desire.
In Divorce proceedings, in determining whether spousal support is appropriate and
reasonable, and in determining the nature, amount, and terms of payment, and duration of
spousal support, which is payable either in gross or in installments, the court shall
consider all of the following factors:
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
(j)
(k)
(l)
(m)
(n)
8.
The income of the parties, from all sources, including, but not limited to,
income derived from property divided, disbursed, or distributed by the
Court in the present proceeding;
The relative earning abilities of the parties;
The ages and the physical, mental, and emotional conditions of the parties;
The retirement benefits of the parties;
The duration of the marriage;
The extent to which it would be inappropriate for a party, because that
party will be custodian of a minor child of the marriage, to seek
employment outside the home;
The standard of living of the parties established during the marriage;
The relative extent of education of the parties;
The relative assets and liabilities of the parties, including but not limited to
any court-ordered payments by the parties;
The contribution of each party to the education, training, or earning ability
of the other party, including, but not limited to, any party's contribution to
the acquisition of a professional degree of the other party;
The time and expense necessary for the spouse who is seeking spousal
support to acquire education, training, or job experience so that the spouse
will be qualified to obtain appropriate employment, provided the
education, training, or job experience, and employment is, in fact, sought;
The tax consequences, for each party, of an award of spousal support;
The lost income production capacity of either party that resulted from that
party's marital responsibilities;
Any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant and equitable.
DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY: Since this is an agreed upon Dissolution of
Marriage proceeding, the parties will agreed to all property distributions.
In Divorce proceedings, the court shall determine what constitutes marital property and
what constitutes separate property. Upon making such a determination, the court shall
divide the marital and separate property equitably between the spouses. In making a
division of marital property and in determining whether to make and the amount of any
distributive award, the court shall consider all of the following factors:
(a)
(b)
The duration of the marriage;
The assets and liabilities of the spouses;
(c)
(d)
(e)
(f)
(g)
(h)
(i)
The desirability of awarding the family home, or the right to reside in the
family home for reasonable periods of time, to the spouse with custody of
the children of the marriage;
The liquidity of the property to be distributed;
The economic desirability of retaining intact an asset or an interest in an
asset;
The tax consequences of the property division upon the respective awards
to be made to each spouse;
The costs of sale, if it is necessary that an asset be sold to effectuate an
equitable distribution of property;
Any division or disbursement of property made in a separation agreement
that was voluntarily entered into by the spouses;
Any other factor that the court expressly finds to be relevant and
equitable.
9.
CONCILIATION / FAMILY COUNSELING: The Court may order the parties to
undergo conciliation for the period of time not exceeding ninety days as the court
specifies, and, if children are involved in the proceeding, the court may order the parties
to take part in family counseling during the course of the proceeding or for any
reasonable period of time as directed by the court. No action for divorce in which
conciliation or family counseling has been ordered shall be heard or decided until the
conciliation or family counseling has concluded and been reported to the court.
10.
NAME CHANGE: When a divorce is granted, the Court shall, if the person so desires,
restore any name that the person had before the marriage.
This package is only for use by parties seeking to terminate their marriage through the
Dissolution of Marriage procedure. The material presented on Divorce is solely for
information purposes.
For more information, see the Ohio Divorce Law Summary.
FORMS
The following forms are included in this package.
1.
Petition for Dissolution (OH-802D)
2.
Separation Agreement (OH-804D)
3.
Affidavit of Income, Expenses and Financial Disclosure (OH-805D)
4.
Waiver of Financial Disclosure Affidavit (OH-806D)
5.
Waiver of Legal Representation (OH-807D)
6.
Waiver of Service of Summons (OH-808D)
7.
Witnesses Statement (OH-809D)
8.
Health Insurance Disclosure Affidavit (OH-820D)
9.
Judgment Entry of Dissolution of Marriage (OH-811D)
FORM EXPLANATIONS
All forms included in this package are identified below.
1.
Petition for Dissolution (OH-802D): The document through which you request that the
court dissolve your marriage. This must be filed with the clerk of court in your initial
filing of documents.
2.
Separation Agreement (OH-804D): The document in which you set out the specifics
of your marriage dissolution, including division of property and debts, all of which must
be agreed to and signed by each spouse. This must be filed with the clerk of court in
your initial filing of documents. This form is presented as a guide and should be
modified to include all issues that need to be resolved between you and your Spouse.
3.
Affidavit of Income, Expenses and Financial Disclosure (OH-805D): In this
document, you and your spouse disclose and estimate the value of all of your assets,
debts and other financial information. This must be filed with the clerk of court in your
initial filing of documents.
4.
Waiver of Financial Disclosure Affidavit (OH-806D): Complete this form in lieu of
the financial affidavit where there are no children of the marriage and the court agrees to
accept this filing.
5.
Waiver of Legal Representation (OH-807D): This document indicates that you and
your spouse understand that each of you could seek the advice of an attorney in this
matter, but you have chosen not to. This must be filed with the clerk of court in your
initial filing of documents.
6.
Waiver of Service of Summons (OH-808D): This document indicates that both you
and your spouse have agreed to dissolve the marriage and are aware of the court
proceedings, thereby making formal service of process unnecessary. This must be filed
with the clerk of court in your initial filing of documents.
7.
Witnesses Statement (OH-809D): This form lists the witnesses expected to be called
for both parties.
8.
Health Insurance Disclosure Affidavit (OH-820D): This form is used to provide the
Court with all relevant health insurance information of the parties.
9.
Judgment Entry of Dissolution of Marriage (OH-811D): Provide to the clerk with
your initial filing. Bring copies of this document to your final dissolution hearing. Once
signed by the judge and filed with the court, it represents the completion of the
dissolution of your marriage. The Decree incorporates all the terms of the Separation
Agreement (OH-804D) previously signed and filed with the court by you and your
spouse. You must attach a copy of the signed Separation Agreement to the Decree.
INSTRUCTIONS AND STEPS
STEP 1:
Agree with your spouse on filling out all items of the Petition for Dissolution
(OH-802D), Separation Agreement (OH-804D), Waiver of Legal Representation
(OH-807D), Affidavit of Income, Expenses and Financial Disclosure (OH-805D),
and Waiver of Service of Summons (OH-808D). Sign the forms that require
witness by a Notary Public in front of a Notary Public.
STEP 2:
Make 3 copies of these completed documents (the original to be filed with the
court, two copies for yourself and one for your spouse). Bring these documents to
the court clerk for filing. Ask the clerk to stamp your copies in addition to the
originals which the clerk will keep. Give your spouse’s copies to him or her.
You will either receive the hearing date when you file the Petition for Dissolution
(OH-802D) or you will receive one soon thereafter. You must complete all
sections of the Decree of Dissolution that you can complete and provide it to the
Clerk at the time the Petition is provided.
Check with the Clerk and see if the Waiver of Financial Disclosure Affidavit
(OH-806D) is acceptable. If not, you will need to file the completed financial
affidavit. Check with your court clerk to determine if there is an updated form of
the Affidavit of Income, Expenses and Financial Disclosure (OH-805D), that you
need to pick up and fill out (these are regularly updated), or if the one in this
packet is sufficient. Do not be afraid to ask questions of the clerk- he or she is a
valuable resource to consult if you are unclear on any procedures. Be sure to ask
the clerk for the exact amount of the filing fee necessary to file the dissolution
papers.
STEP 3:
When your court date arrives, you and your spouse must appear in court before
the judge. Bring your copies of your previously filed documents, and bring
copies of the Judgment Entry of Dissolution of Marriage (OH-811D). This is the
document the judge will sign to finalize the dissolution of your marriage.
STEP 4:
At the hearing, when your case is called, you should take the lead, telling the
judge your name and where you reside, that you voluntarily signed the Separation
Agreement (OH-804D) that you believe it is fair, and that you request that your
marriage be dissolved on that basis. Your spouse should repeat the same
information. The judge will look over your filings and may have a few questions.
He or she will sign the Judgment Entry of Dissolution (OH-811D), and you must
file this with the clerk of court, keeping a stamped “filed” copy for your records
(your spouse also should obtain a stamped “filed copy from the clerk). Your
marriage is now dissolved.
Additional Notes:
The petition must include both parties’ names, addresses, social security numbers, dates of birth
and telephone numbers - if pro se.
The petition must include the date of marriage.
The petition must contain both attorneys’ signatures, addresses, phone numbers, and Supreme
Court
The petition must include Registration Numbers or both parties’ signatures - if pro se.
The separation agreement must include a statement regarding division and exchange of personal
property.
The petition must be accompanied by a decree if self represented.
CHECKLIST
Check with clerk for amount of filing fee and any updated Affidavit of Income, Expenses
and Financial Disclosure (OH-805D), if the affidavit is not waived.
All documents filled out and agreed to by you and your spouse.
All documents signed and notarized where needed.
Documents filed and filing fee paid.
Hearing date obtained for final dissolution hearing.
Copies of all previously filed documents and copies of Judgment Entry of Dissolution of
Marriage (OH-811D) brought to final hearing.
Judgment Entry of Dissolution of Marriage (OH-811D) signed by the Judge.
Signed Judgment Entry of Dissolution of Marriage (OH-811D) filed with the clerk of
court, with copies to you and your spouse. Your marriage is now dissolved.
NOTE ABOUT COMPLETING THE FORMS
The forms in this packet contain “form fields” created using Microsoft Word. “Form fields”
facilitate completion of the forms using your computer. They do not limit you ability to print the
form “in blank” and complete with a typewriter or by hand.
If you do not see the gray shaded form fields, go the View menu, click on Toolbars, and then
select Forms. This will open the forms toolbar. Look for the button on the forms toolbar that
resembles a shaded letter “a”. Click in this button and the form fields will be visible.
To complete the forms click on the gray shaded areas and type. You may also change other
words in the document if the document is not locked. The separation agreement is a good
example of a document that is not locked and allows you to make modifications outside the gray
shaded areas.
Some forms may be locked which means that the content of the forms cannot be changed while
the form is locked. You can only fill in the information in the fields. If you need to make any
changes in the body of the form, it is necessary for you “unlock” or “unprotect” the form. IF
YOU INTEND TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE CONTENT, DO SO BEFORE YOU
BEGIN TO FILL IN THE FIELDS. IF YOU UNLOCK THE DOCUMENT AFTER YOU
HAVE BEGUN TO COMPLETE THE FIELDS, WHEN YOU RELOCK, ALL
INFORMATION YOU ENTERED WILL BE LOST. To unlock, click on “Tools” in the
Menu bar and then selecting “unprotect document”. You may then be prompted to enter a
password. If so, the password is “uslf”. That is uslf in lower case letters without the
quotation marks. After you make the changes relock the document before you begin to
complete the fields. After any required changes re-lock the document, then click on the first form
field and enter the required information. You will be able to navigate through the document
from form field to form field using your tab key. Tab to a form field and insert your data. If you
experience problems, please let us know.
LAW SUMMARY
You may access the law summary for your State by using the link below:
http://secure.uslegalforms.com/lawsummary/OH-008-D.htm
DISCLAIMER
These materials were developed by U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. based upon statutes and forms for the
subject state. All Information and Forms are subject to this Disclaimer: All forms in this
package are provided without any warranty, express or implied, as to their legal effect and
completeness. Please use at your own risk. If you have a serious legal problem we suggest that
you consult an attorney. U.S. Legal Forms, Inc. does not provide legal advice. The products
offered by U.S. Legal Forms (USLF) are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.
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THESE FORMS WERE PREPARED FOR STATEWIDE USE. HOWEVER, SOME
COUNTIES OR JUDGES MAY REQUIRE CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS TO THE FORMS
FOR USE IN YOUR PARTICULAR COUNTY AND MAY REQUIRE SPECIAL FORMS
NOT INCLUDED. CHANGES REQUIRED BY PARTICULAR JUDGES ARE NOT
UNCOMMON EVEN IF THE FORMS HAD BEEN PREPARED BY YOUR ATTORNEY.
REGARDLESS, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THESE FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS,
WITH ANY REQUIRED MODIFICATIONS, TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE PROCESS. IF
YOU NEED TO MAKE CHANGES, OR IF SPECIAL FORMS ARE REQUIRED IN YOUR
COUNTY, YOU CAN MAKE THE CHANGES AND REFILE, OR OBTAIN THE SPECIAL
FORMS EITHER FROM THE CLERK OR A CLOSED DIVORCE FILE WHICH YOU CAN
USE AS AN EXAMPLE.