Alabama’s printable divorce papers are available as free PDFs on the state court system’s e-forms website, and most self-filers need one of two downloads: the Uncontested Divorce Packet if both spouses agree on everything, or the standalone Divorce Complaint (PS-08) if there are no minor children and nothing to divide. Both come directly from the Alabama Administrative Office of Courts at eforms.alacourt.gov.1Alabama Administrative Office of Courts. Do It Yourself Forms Download from that site, not from third-party form vendors. Off-brand versions are often outdated, use wrong form numbers, or include language Alabama courts do not accept.
Which Packet You Need
Pick the download based on your situation, not on which one looks shorter.
Use the Uncontested Divorce Packet if you and your spouse agree on the divorce and on every related issue: property, debts, custody, support, and any name change. It is a single PDF bundle that contains every form the clerk expects to see in a cooperative filing.2Alabama Judicial System. Uncontested Divorce Packet
Use the standalone Divorce Complaint (PS-08) only when there are no minor children and no shared assets or debts for a court to divide. If your marriage produced children or you own anything jointly, this form is not the right one.3Alabama Administrative Office of Courts. Alabama State Bar Divorce Complaint
A few other single-form PDFs are worth knowing. The Answer to Divorce Complaint lets the other spouse respond formally.4Alabama Judicial System. Answer to Divorce Complaint The Request for Divorce Judgment by Default (PS-10) applies when a served spouse never responds.5Alabama Judicial System. Request for Divorce Judgment by Default And the Affidavit of Substantial Hardship (Form C-10) is how you ask the court to waive the filing fee.6Alabama Judicial System. Alabama Unified Judicial System Form C-10-CIVIL – Affidavit of Substantial Hardship and Order
What’s Inside the Uncontested Packet
Before printing anything, know what you are looking at. The packet contains:
- PS-01 — Complaint for Divorce (the document that opens the case)
- PS-02 — Acceptance and Waiver of Service (the other spouse’s signed acknowledgment)
- PS-03 — Testimony of Plaintiff (sworn statements supporting the complaint)
- PS-04 — Separation Agreement (your written agreement on property, custody, support, and other terms)
- PS-05 — Proposed Divorce Decree (what you want the judge to sign)
- PS-06 — Certificate of Divorce (vital statistics form sent to the Alabama Department of Public Health)
If you have minor children, the packet also includes child support forms CS-41, CS-42, and CS-43.2Alabama Judicial System. Uncontested Divorce Packet The Certificate of Divorce (labeled PS-06 in the packet and ADPH-HS-16 on the form itself) is also available as a standalone PDF.7Alabama Administrative Office of Courts. Certificate of Divorce
Residency and the Right County
The clerk will check two threshold questions before anything else: are you an Alabama resident, and are you filing in the right circuit court?
Residency rules turn on where each spouse lives. If both spouses live in Alabama, either can file right away with no waiting period. If only the filing spouse lives in Alabama and the other lives out of state, the filer must have been a bona fide Alabama resident for at least six months. If only the defendant lives in Alabama, the filer can file immediately regardless of where the filer lives.8Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-2-5 – Residency Requirement for Plaintiff When Defendant Nonresident
Venue is set by statute. File in the circuit court of the county where the defendant lives, or the county where you last lived together as a couple. If the defendant lives out of state, file in the county where you now reside.9Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-2-4 – Where Complaint to Be Filed Filing in the wrong county gives the clerk grounds to reject the paperwork.
Choosing Your Grounds
The complaint asks you to state a legal reason for the divorce. Alabama recognizes twelve grounds, but two carry most pro se filings: incompatibility of temperament (the spouses cannot live together anymore) and irretrievable breakdown of the marriage (reconciliation is not realistic or in the family’s best interest).10Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-2-1 – Grounds, Jurisdiction for Proceedings, Divorce Judgment Awarded to Both Parties Both are no-fault, so you don’t have to prove wrongdoing.
Fault-based grounds also exist, including adultery, voluntary abandonment for at least one year, imprisonment on a sentence of seven years or longer, habitual substance abuse that developed after the marriage, and domestic violence. Fault grounds require evidence. Most self-filers use one of the no-fault options because the process is faster and the paperwork is simpler.
Filling Out the Complaint Without Getting Rejected
Whether you use PS-01 from the packet or the standalone PS-08, the complaint asks for:
- Both spouses’ full legal names and current addresses
- Both Social Security numbers
- The date and place of the marriage
- The date of separation
- The grounds for divorce
- What you are asking the court to do (divide property, order support, approve custody, restore a name)
Complete every field legibly. Names must match exactly across all forms in your packet. A mismatch between the complaint and the proposed decree is one of the most common reasons clerks send filers back to redo their paperwork.2Alabama Judicial System. Uncontested Divorce Packet
In an uncontested case, the terms you and your spouse agreed to go into the Separation Agreement (PS-04). Once the judge signs the decree, that agreement becomes a binding contract. Courts generally will not modify a property settlement after the divorce is final, so anything vague or missing now can be difficult to fix later.
Child Support Forms When Children Are Involved
If you have minor children, three additional forms travel with the complaint. They implement Alabama’s Rule 32 child support guidelines, which use an income-shares model built on the idea that children should receive the same support they would have if the family stayed together.11Alabama Judicial System. ARJA Rule 32 – Child Support Guidelines
- CS-41 (Child Support Income Statement/Affidavit). Each parent completes one, disclosing income, deductions, and financial obligations.
- CS-42 (Child Support Guidelines form). The worksheet that combines both incomes with childcare and health insurance costs and produces the presumptive support amount. If custody is split equally, use CS-42-S instead.
- CS-43 (Notice of Compliance). Certifies that the support amount in your agreement follows the guidelines, or explains any deviation.
The calculation is mathematical rather than discretionary. A judge can deviate from the guidelines, but only with written findings explaining why.11Alabama Judicial System. ARJA Rule 32 – Child Support Guidelines
Name Restoration
If you want to restore a former or maiden name, put the request in the complaint and the separation agreement. The judge can then order it in the final decree, and you avoid a separate legal name change proceeding later. Alabama Code Section 30-2-11 gives the circuit court discretion over name restoration in divorce cases.12Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-2-11 – Wife May Be Enjoined from Use of Given Name or Initials of Divorced Husband Leave it out and you’ll have to file (and pay for) a standalone name change.
Filing the Papers
Sign the complaint in front of a notary public. Bring the originals plus at least two copies to the Circuit Court Clerk’s office in the correct county. The clerk checks the signatures, collects the fee, and stamps everything with the official filing date. One stamped set comes back to you for service on your spouse.
Filing fees vary by county. Published fee schedules show roughly $208 to $330 depending on the circuit and whether the case is contested or uncontested. If you cannot afford the fee, file the Affidavit of Substantial Hardship (Form C-10) with your complaint. If you qualify, the fee is waived up front and taxed as costs at the end of the case.13Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 12-19-70 – Circuit and District Court Docket Fee
Serving Your Spouse
After filing, the other spouse must be formally notified. Method depends on whether the case is cooperative.
When Your Spouse Agrees
The defendant can sign the Acceptance and Waiver of Service of Process (PS-02) from the uncontested packet. Signing it acknowledges receipt of the complaint, enters an appearance in the case, waives formal service by a sheriff or process server, and consents to entry of a final judgment any time after the 30-day waiting period. It also waives the right to receive notice of the hearing date and the entry of the final decree. The waiver must be signed in the presence of a credible witness.2Alabama Judicial System. Uncontested Divorce Packet
When Your Spouse Won’t Cooperate
Formal service under Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 4 uses personal delivery by the county sheriff, a constable, or a court-designated process server. You can also request certified mail with restricted delivery by filing a written request with the clerk. If certified mail is unclaimed or refused, the clerk sends a copy by ordinary mail and service is complete once the mailing is entered into the court record.
If you genuinely cannot locate your spouse, the court may authorize service by publication under Rule 4.3. That means running a notice in a local newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks. The notice summarizes the complaint, states the relief you’re seeking, and gives the defendant 30 days after the last publication to respond.14Alabama Judicial System. Rule 4.3 – Process: Service by Publication You’ll need to file an affidavit describing your efforts to find your spouse before the judge approves this method.
The 30-Day Wait and What Happens Next
Alabama imposes a mandatory 30-day waiting period after the complaint and summons are filed before a judge can enter a final divorce judgment.15Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 30-2-8.1 – Waiting Period Prior to Issuance There are no exceptions, even if both spouses agree and every form is flawless. During the wait, the court can still issue temporary orders on custody, support, use of the family home, or restraints against dissipating assets.
Once 30 days pass, uncontested cases usually move forward on the plaintiff’s Testimony (PS-03), which presents sworn statements supporting the complaint. Many circuits accept this in writing without an in-court appearance. If the defendant was served but never responded, the plaintiff can file the Request for Divorce Judgment by Default (PS-10) and ask the court to grant the divorce on the unanswered complaint.5Alabama Judicial System. Request for Divorce Judgment by Default If the defendant filed an answer disputing terms, the case proceeds to a hearing and the judge decides the contested issues.