Fill out California form FL-800 yourselves (free)

Contact box

The box at the top left of page 1: “PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY OR ATTORNEY”. It has room for one name and address.

Help with this step

This is the Joint Petition for Summary Dissolution. You both fill it in together, and you both sign it by hand. Before you start, the form asks you to read the Summary Dissolution Information booklet (form FL-810). Court guide: Summary dissolution.

Name (required)

Street address (required)

City (required)

State (required)

Zip code (required)

Phone

Fax (if you have one)

Email (if you have one)

A lawyer is filling out this form for us

Court and your names

The court box, Petitioner 1 and Petitioner 2, the case number and the boxes under the title.

Help with this step

Court addresses are on Find My Court. The selfhelp guide says to check there for the courthouse that accepts divorce filings. The form title says this petition can end a marriage, a registered domestic partnership, or both: check each one that applies to you.

Superior Court of California, County of (required)

Type only the county name, for example Sacramento.

Court street address

Court mailing address (if different)

Court city and zip code

Branch name

Petitioner 1 (full name) (required)

Petitioner 2 (full name) (required)

Case number (if you have one)

If you don’t have one yet, leave it blank.

MARRIAGE

DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIP

Items 1 to 4: booklet and dates

The form begins: “We petition for a summary dissolution of marriage, registered domestic partnership, or both and declare that all the following conditions exist on the date this petition is filed with the court:”

Help with this step

The FL-810 booklet (page 2) explains the date of separation: “In most cases, the day of the separation is the day the couple stopped living together.” See also Date of separation in the court’s guide. Lines without a box on the form are statements you both declare true by signing. Here you tick them only to show you have read them; those ticks are not sent and do not go on the form.

1. We have read and understand the Summary Dissolution Information booklet (form FL-810).

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

2a. We were married

2b. We registered as domestic partners

3. We separated (required)

4. Less than five years have passed between the date of our marriage and/or registration of our domestic partnership and the date of our separation.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

Items 5 to 11: residence, children, property, debts

Read each statement as it is printed on the form. Item 5 has two boxes: check the one that is true for you. Items 6 to 11 have no box: you both declare them by signing.

Help with this step

The court’s guide lists the requirements for summary dissolution: Find out if you qualify for summary dissolution. It says, among other things, that less than five years have passed from the date you married or registered to the date you separated; that you have no minor children together and neither of you is pregnant; that together you owe less than $7,000, not counting car loans; and that together you have less than $57,000 and each of you has less than $57,000 in separate property, not counting cars (retirement plans count). FL-810 (pages 5 to 11) has worksheets to add up your property and debts. This tool does not check or decide whether you qualify: you both read the statements and decide. FL-810 says: “If even one of these statements is not true for you, you cannot get a divorce in this way.”

5. Residence (check a or b) (required)

a. One of us has lived in California for at least six months and in the county of filing for at least the three months preceding the date of filing. Or we are only asking to end a domestic partnership registered in California.b. We are the same sex and were married in California but are not residents of California. Neither of us lives in a place that will allow us to divorce. We are filing this case in the county in which we married.

6. There are no minor children who were born of our relationship before or during our marriage or domestic partnership or adopted by us during our marriage or domestic partnership. Neither one of us, to our knowledge, is pregnant.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

7. Neither of us has an interest in any real property anywhere. (You may have a lease for a residence in which one of you lives. It must terminate within a year from the date of filing this petition. The lease must not include an option to purchase.)

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

8. Except for obligations with respect to cars, on obligations incurred by either or both of us during our marriage or domestic partnership, we owe no more than $7,000.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

9. The total fair market value of community property assets, not including what we owe on those assets and not including cars, is less than $57,000.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

10. Neither of us has separate property assets, not including what we owe on those assets and not including cars, in excess of $57,000.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

11. We each have filled out and given the other an Income and Expense Declaration (form FL-150).

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

Items 12 and 13: disclosures and property

Item 12 says how you shared information about your property, debts and income. Item 13: “Check whichever statement is true.”

Help with this step

The court’s guide explains what you each fill out and give each other: Gather and share financial information: the Income and Expense Declaration (FL-150), either the FL-810 worksheets (pages 7, 9 and 11) or FL-140 with FL-142 or FL-160, the tax returns you filed in the last 2 years, and written information about investments, businesses or other income. For item 13b, the guide links a property agreement you can fill in and says the agreement is attached to form FL-825. This tool does not write the agreement.

12a. We each have disclosed information about the value and division of our property by filling out and giving each other copies of the documents listed in (1) or (2) below (specify): (required)

(1) The worksheets on pages 7, 9, and 11 of the Summary Dissolution Information booklet (form FL-810).(2) A Declaration of Disclosure (form FL-140), a Schedule of Assets and Debts (form FL-142), or Property Declaration (form FL-160), and all attachments to these forms.

12b. We have told each other in writing about any investment, business, or other income-producing opportunities that came up after we were separated based on investments made or work done during the marriage or domestic partnership and before our separation.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

12c. We have exchanged all tax returns each of us has filed within the two years before disclosing the information described in 12a.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

13. (Check whichever statement is true.) (required)

a. We have no community assets or liabilities.b. We have signed an agreement listing and dividing all our community assets and liabilities and have signed all the papers necessary to carry out our agreement. A copy of our agreement is attached to the Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment (form FL-825).

Items 14 to 20

Item 15 has boxes: check one only if that petitioner wants a former name back, and type that name. The other items have no box: you both declare them by signing.

Help with this step

FL-810 (page 20) says: “If you changed your name when you were married or registered your domestic partnership, you have the right to give up that name and get your former name back. You can do this by requesting it in the joint petition.” FL-810 (page 4) explains item 16: with a summary dissolution there is no trial or hearing, and couples do not have the right to ask for a new trial or to appeal.

14. Irreconcilable differences have caused the irremediable breakdown of our marriage and/or domestic partnership, and each of us wishes to have the court dissolve our marriage and/or domestic partnership without our appearing before a judge.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

15a. Petitioner 1 desires to have a former name restored.

15b. Petitioner 2 desires to have a former name restored.

16. We each give up our rights to appeal and to move for a new trial after the effective date of our Judgment of Dissolution.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

17. Each of us forever gives up any right to spousal or domestic partner support from the other.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

18. We each agree to keep the court and each other informed of any change of mailing address or phone number occurring within six months from the filing of this joint petition using the Notice of Change of Address or Other Contact Information (form MC-040).

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

19. We are submitting the original and three copies of the proposed Judgment of Dissolution and Notice of Entry of Judgment (form FL-825) and two stamped envelopes together with this petition. One envelope is addressed to Petitioner 1 and the other to Petitioner 2.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

20. We agree that this matter may be determined by a commissioner sitting as a temporary judge.

No box on the form: you both declare this by signing. This tick stays on this page; it is not sent and not printed.

Items 21 to 23: mailing addresses

Where the court mails each of you. Item 23 is the number of pages you attach to this petition.

Help with this step

Item 18 says you each agree to tell the court and each other about any change of mailing address or phone number within six months of filing, using form MC-040.

21. Mailing address of Petitioner 1

Name (required)

Address (required)

Address (line 2)

Address (line 3)

City (required)

State (required)

Zip code (required)

22. Mailing address of Petitioner 2

Name (required)

Address (required)

Address (line 2)

Address (line 3)

City (required)

State (required)

Zip code (required)

23. Number of pages attached

Dates and signatures

Both of you sign page 2 by hand after you print. Each signature line has its own date.

Help with this step

FL-810 (page 17) says: “When signing your joint petition and your property settlement agreement, you are signing these documents under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California, which is the same as being sworn to testify in court. You may not sign each other’s name.”

Each of you declares on the form: “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing and all attached documents are true and correct.” You both sign under penalty of perjury.

Date, Petitioner 1 (optional: or write it by hand)

Date, Petitioner 2 (optional: or write it by hand)

Check and download

Check every line. This is exactly what will be printed on the form. To change something, go back to that step.

Do this by hand after you print:

Both of you sign page 2 by hand (Petitioner 1 and Petitioner 2). You may not sign each other’s name.
Attach a copy of your signed property agreement to form FL-825 (item 13b).
Fill out form FL-825 (Judgment of Dissolution) and turn it in with this petition (item 19).

The PDF is made in your browser. Nothing is sent to the court.

Fill out form FL‑800 yourselves

Contact box

Court and your names

Items 1 to 4: booklet and dates

Items 5 to 11: residence, children, property, debts

Items 12 and 13: disclosures and property

Items 14 to 20

Items 21 to 23: mailing addresses

21. Mailing address of Petitioner 1

22. Mailing address of Petitioner 2

Dates and signatures

Check and download

Do this by hand after you print:

Your FL-800 is ready. What to do next

Do this by hand after you print:

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