You can file for divorce online in Indiana through the Indiana E-Filing System (IEFS), the same portal the courts use for civil cases generally. The process: confirm you meet residency, prepare a verified petition and financial disclosures, upload them as PDFs to the correct county court, pay the filing fee, arrange service on your spouse, and wait out the mandatory 60-day period before a judge can sign your decree.1Indiana Rules of Court. Rule 86 – General Electronic Filing and Electronic Service
Confirm You Meet Indiana’s Residency Rule First
At least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for six months and in the county where you plan to file for three months. Both minimums run immediately before the filing date, so a recent move can force you to wait or file in a different county.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-15-2-6 – Residence, Filing in County of Guardians Residence
Active-duty military members stationed at an Indiana installation can meet the six-month state requirement through time stationed there, even if their legal domicile is elsewhere. The same applies to the three-month county requirement if the installation is in that county.2Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-15-2-6 – Residence, Filing in County of Guardians Residence
What to Prepare Before You Log In
Have your documents drafted, signed, and saved as PDFs before you touch the portal. Uploading incomplete or unverified paperwork is the most common reason an online filing gets rejected or stalls.
The Verified Petition for Dissolution
The petition is the document that formally asks the court to end the marriage, and Indiana law requires it to be verified — signed under oath. It must state how long each spouse has lived in the state and county, the date of the marriage, when you separated, the grounds for divorce, and the relief you’re requesting (property division, custody, support). If there are children under 21 or an incapacitated child, list each child’s name, age, and address, and disclose whether the wife is pregnant.3Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code Title 31 – 31-15-2-5
Nearly every online filer uses irretrievable breakdown of the marriage as the ground. It’s Indiana’s no-fault option, and it doesn’t require you to prove anyone did anything wrong.4Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-15-2-3 – Grounds for Decree
Financial Disclosures
Both spouses must disclose their full financial picture: income, debts, assets, and tax returns. Indiana courts use these numbers to divide property and set support. Understating income or hiding assets can bring penalties, and a judge can reopen terms that were built on incomplete information. If your finances involve a business, retirement accounts, or anything you’re unsure how to value, having a family law attorney look at your disclosures before you upload them is worth the cost.
A Settlement Agreement, If You Have One
If you and your spouse agree on property, custody, and support, put those terms in a written settlement agreement and file it with the petition. That agreement is what makes the case uncontested and opens the door to finishing without a hearing. The court still reviews the terms to confirm they follow Indiana law, but agreed deals are rarely rejected.
Filing Through the Indiana E-Filing System
Create an account on the IEFS portal, enter your personal information, and complete the site’s verification steps. Documents must be uploaded in PDF format. When you submit, select the correct county court and choose dissolution of marriage as the case type, then pay the filing fee electronically.1Indiana Rules of Court. Rule 86 – General Electronic Filing and Electronic Service
Save the confirmation receipt the system generates. It’s your proof of filing, and it records the exact date your 60-day waiting period begins.
Filing Fees and Fee Waivers
The standard filing fee for an Indiana dissolution is $157. Some counties add a $20 surcharge under an approved local plan, bringing the total to $177. If you ask the sheriff to serve your spouse, add $28.5Indiana State Board of Accounts. 2025 Court Costs and Fees by Case Type
If you can’t afford the fee, Indiana lets you request a waiver by filing a sworn written statement declaring indigency, briefly describing your case, and affirming that you believe you’re entitled to the relief you’re seeking. If you’re represented by Indiana Legal Services, another civil legal aid program, or a pro bono attorney through one of Indiana’s fourteen administrative districts, the clerk waives the fees automatically once the attorney files the required paperwork.6Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 33-37-3-2 – Indigent Persons, Relief From or Waiver
Serving Your Spouse After You File
Filing online doesn’t notify your spouse. You still have to serve them formally, and Indiana allows certified mail, a private process server, or the county sheriff. If you elected sheriff service and paid the $28 with your filing, that piece is handled.
The fastest option for a cooperative spouse is a Waiver of Service. Your spouse signs it in front of a notary, affirming under penalty of perjury that they’ve received copies of the petition and summons, and you file the signed waiver with the court. Some counties add local requirements to waivers, so check the local rules for the county where you filed.
The 60-Day Wait and What to Expect
No judge can hold a final hearing or sign a decree earlier than 60 days after the petition is filed.7Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-15-2-10 – Final Hearing The rule doesn’t bend for agreement or clean paperwork. Even in a case where both spouses want the same outcome and everything was filed correctly on day one, the earliest possible decree is day 61.
In practice, uncontested Indiana cases typically finish 75 to 120 days after filing, depending on the court’s calendar and how quickly service is completed.
Extra Steps if You Have Minor Children
Two things get added when children are involved. First, child support has to be calculated using the Indiana Child Support Guidelines. The Indiana Judicial Branch provides an online calculator that produces a worksheet from your inputs (income, parenting time, healthcare costs, other expenses), and you submit the worksheet with your filing.8Indiana Judicial Branch. Child Support Calculator
Second, many counties require both parents to complete a court-approved parenting class before the court will schedule a final hearing or issue a decree. Fees typically run $25 to $85 per parent, and format varies: some counties require a four-hour course, others a single workshop session. If you can’t afford the fee, you can petition the court for a waiver. Check with your county clerk for the exact program and deadline, because a missing certificate of completion will stall the case.
Finishing Without a Hearing: Summary Dissolution
Once the 60 days are up, agreed cases can finish without anyone appearing in court. Indiana allows a summary dissolution where the judge signs the decree without a hearing if both parties file verified pleadings that include a written waiver of the final hearing and either a statement that no issues are contested or a written settlement agreement resolving all contested points.9Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 31-15-2-13 – Summary Dissolution Decree This is what most people filing online are aiming for.
If any issue is unresolved, the court schedules a final hearing instead. The judge reviews the filings, hears both sides on contested matters, and decides property division, custody, and support. Depending on the county, appearances may be in person or virtual.
Ask for Your Former Name in the Petition
If you changed your name when you married and want it restored, request that in the original petition. The judge can order the restoration as part of the decree, and it takes effect immediately. Skip this during the divorce and you’ll need a separate name-change petition later, with its own filing fees and possibly another hearing.
When Online DIY Isn’t the Right Call
Indiana doesn’t require you to hire a lawyer, and the e-filing system is built for self-represented parties. That works best when both spouses agree on everything and the finances are simple. Once significant assets, retirement accounts, business interests, or contested custody enter the picture, an attorney’s fee is almost always less than the cost of a mistake in a settlement you’ll live with for years. If private counsel is out of reach, Indiana Legal Services and the pro bono referral programs run through the state’s fourteen judicial administrative districts can provide free help.