New York’s Judgment of Divorce Form UD-11 is the document a judge signs to end an uncontested marriage, and it’s the last form you prepare in a packet where every name, date, and dollar figure has to line up with everything else you filed. Download the current version from the New York State Unified Court System and treat the whole packet as one document: the clerk will.
What to Have in Front of You Before You Start
UD-11 pulls information from almost every other form in your packet, so gather these first:
- Your Index Number, assigned when you paid the $210 filing fee at the start of the case.
- Both parties’ full legal names, addresses, and Social Security numbers. The names must match the Summons and Verified Complaint exactly, down to middle initials.
- The date and place of the marriage: city, county, and state or country.
- Your separation agreement or stipulation of settlement, if you signed one. It must be notarized using the acknowledgment form used for deeds, not a standard notary jurat.
- Legible copies of any prior court orders, including temporary orders of protection, custody orders, or support orders.
UD-11 doesn’t go to the court by itself. The uncontested packet also includes the Note of Issue (UD-9), Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (UD-10), Part 130 Certification (UD-12), Request for Judicial Intervention (UD-13), Notice of Entry (UD-14), an Affirmation of Service of the Judgment, a Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage, and a stamped self-addressed postcard the court uses to notify you that the judgment has been signed.1New York Courts. Divorce Forms Additional forms apply if children are involved or if either spouse wants maintenance.
Filling Out UD-11 Section by Section
The current revision runs ten pages.2New York State Unified Court System. New York Judgment of Divorce Form UD-11 Most of it is pre-printed legal language with blanks and checkboxes.
Case Caption and Grounds
At the top, enter the county where you filed, the Index Number, and both parties’ names exactly as they appear on the Summons. The form then recites that the court reviewed the papers and found grounds for divorce. Under Domestic Relations Law Section 170, the most common ground is irretrievable breakdown of the marriage for at least six months, stated under oath by one spouse.3New York State Senate. Domestic Relations Code 170 – Action for Divorce Check the ground that matches your Verified Complaint.
Party Identification
A section near the beginning asks for each party’s address and Social Security number. The court uses the numbers for child support enforcement and vital records. Leaving them blank or crossing them out is one of the most common reasons packets are rejected.4New York State Unified Court System. The Top 20 Most Common Mistakes in Filling Out and Filing UD Forms
Custody and Visitation
If you have minor children, check the box for which parent gets custody and which gets visitation, and fill in the children’s names and birth dates. A separate section covers visitation terms. When your separation agreement spells those out, the form language will reference the agreement rather than restating every term, but the checkboxes still need to be completed.
Child Support
Checkboxes identify which parent pays, how much, and whether the amount follows the Child Support Standards Act guidelines or deviates from them. If it deviates, state the reason. Every figure here must match the separation agreement and the Findings of Fact (UD-10). Inconsistencies among these three documents are a top rejection trigger.
Maintenance
Check the boxes showing whether maintenance was awarded, waived, or reserved. If awarded, fill in the amount, frequency, and duration. If both spouses waived maintenance in a separation agreement, check the waiver box and make sure the Plaintiff’s Affidavit (UD-6) doesn’t contradict it by referencing an agreement that doesn’t exist, or the reverse.
Equitable Distribution
Indicate whether marital property was divided by agreement or determined by the court. For most uncontested divorces, you’ll check the box showing the parties resolved distribution in their separation agreement. The judgment incorporates that agreement by reference rather than listing every asset.
Separation Agreement Incorporation
If you signed a separation agreement or stipulation, the UD-11 contains language merging that agreement into the judgment. Merger means the agreement’s terms become part of the court’s order and are enforceable as such, and the standalone agreement no longer exists as an independent contract. Some agreements instead specify that they “survive” the judgment, meaning they remain enforceable both as a contract and as a court order. The form language defaults to merger, so if your agreement calls for survival, that section needs to be modified.
Name Restoration
The last page includes an option for either party to resume a prior surname. Check the box for plaintiff or defendant and write in the prior surname. Once the judge signs the judgment, the name change is part of the court order.2New York State Unified Court System. New York Judgment of Divorce Form UD-11
Mismatches That Get Packets Rejected
The matrimonial clerk cross-references every form against every other form. Most rejections aren’t about anything complicated — they’re about inconsistency and missing information.4New York State Unified Court System. The Top 20 Most Common Mistakes in Filling Out and Filing UD Forms The ones that come up most often:
- Name mismatches across forms. If the Summons says “Mary Smith” and the Complaint says “Mary Drew Smith,” the packet comes back. Pick one version of each name and use it everywhere.
- Social Security numbers missing or redacted. Both are required. Don’t cross them out.
- Children’s information inconsistent. Birth dates, spellings, and middle names must be identical on every form.
- Referencing a nonexistent agreement. The Plaintiff’s Affidavit (UD-6) contains checkbox language about “what was already agreed to in a written agreement/stipulation.” If no agreement exists, cross that phrase out. Leaving it in tells the court an agreement exists and wasn’t submitted.
- Separation agreement notarized with a standard jurat instead of the acknowledgment form used for deeds.
- Missing Affidavit of Service showing the defendant was properly served with the Summons.
- Blank fields. Every line and checkbox that asks for information must be filled in.
- Wrong paper format. Single-sided, white paper, black ink.
- Relief not carried through. Whatever relief you requested in the Summons or Complaint must also appear in the Plaintiff’s Affidavit. If maintenance appears in one form and not another, the court won’t grant it.
Treat the packet as a single document in which every fact appears multiple times and must be identical each time.
Where to File and What It Costs
Once every form is complete and consistent, the whole packet goes to the court together. Self-represented litigants can e-file through the New York State Courts Electronic Filing system (NYSCEF), though for unrepresented parties e-filing is optional, not mandatory.5New York State Unified Court System. New York State Courts Electronic Filing – Unrepresented Litigants The alternative is hand-delivering the paper packet to the County Clerk’s office in the county where you filed the case.
Filing the Note of Issue (UD-9) and Request for Judicial Intervention (UD-13) carries separate fees beyond the $210 index number fee you paid at the start. If you can’t afford them, you can ask the court for a fee waiver, formally called “poor person’s relief.” This takes a motion with a sworn affidavit describing your income, assets, and inability to pay. If the court denies the request, you have 120 days to pay the fee before the case is dismissed.6New York Courts. Fee Waivers (Poor Persons Relief) When e-filing, obtain the fee waiver order first and upload it with your papers.
What Happens After You File
The matrimonial clerk first audits the packet for compliance: correct forms, consistent information, proper notarizations, matching relief across documents. This administrative review catches the kinds of errors listed above. If something is wrong, the clerk returns the packet with a note explaining the deficiency, and the clock resets.
If the packet passes the clerk’s review, it goes to a judge or court referee. The judge examines the merits, confirming the grounds for divorce are established, the settlement terms are fair (particularly for any children), and both parties consented or defaulted properly. Once satisfied, the judge signs the Judgment of Divorce.
Timing varies widely by county. Some counties process uncontested judgments within a few weeks of filing; others take several months depending on caseload. The overall timeline for an uncontested divorce in New York generally runs two to six months, with the court review phase alone taking roughly four to six weeks in many counties.
Entry, Certified Copies, and Notice to the Other Spouse
A signed judgment isn’t legally effective until the County Clerk stamps it with an entry date and records it. This step, called entry, is what actually dissolves the marriage.7New York Courts. The Judgment in an Uncontested Divorce The stamped self-addressed postcard you included in the packet is how the court notifies you.
Request at least one certified copy of the entered judgment from the County Clerk where it was entered. This is the document banks, government agencies, and the Social Security Administration accept as proof the marriage is dissolved. Certified copy fees vary by county, typically calculated per page, with minimums and maximums set locally.
The Certificate of Dissolution of Marriage that was in your packet goes to the New York State Department of Health, which maintains vital records for divorces granted on or after January 1, 1963.8New York State Department of Health. Divorce Certificates The court handles that filing after entry.
To start the clock on any potential appeal, the plaintiff serves the defendant with a copy of the entered judgment and a Notice of Entry (UD-14). Under New York’s Civil Practice Law and Rules, an appeal must be taken within 30 days after service of the judgment and written notice of its entry.9New York State Senate. New York Civil Practice Law and Rules Law 5513 – Time to Take Appeal, Cross-Appeal or Move for Permission to Appeal Service must be done by someone who is not a party to the case and is at least 18 years old.10New York State Senate. Civil Practice Law and Rules 2103 – Service of Papers File the Affirmation of Service with the County Clerk afterward. That final filing closes out the court file.