Divorce in Kansas, start to finish
See a different stateKansas
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Kansas gives you the forms for free. What it doesn’t give you is the order, the 60-day clock, the certification the clerk will bounce your filing over, or anyone to tell you which forms are actually yours. That’s this.
Put in the day you filed and this page works out every deadline in your case, then hands you a calendar file that reminds you a week before each one and again the day before. It opens in the calendar you already use. Free, no account, nothing stored.
Which forms do you actually need?
Your route and its conditions, the forms grouped by route, how filing actually works in Kansas, and the sequence with its costs.
First, which route you are on. Each one opens to the conditions the rule actually sets.
Divorce without minor children
K.S.A. ch. 23, art. 27; Kansas Judicial Council forms, Rev. 06/2025–07/2025
This set applies where all of these are true:
- The spouses have no minor children together, born to either of them.
- Neither spouse is pregnant.
Divorce with minor children
K.S.A. ch. 23, art. 27; Kansas Child Support Guidelines
This set applies where either of these is true:
- The spouses have minor children together, born to either of them.
- Either spouse is pregnant.
How the other spouse comes into the case
Where the other spouse signs on voluntarily:
- They sign a Voluntary Entry of Appearance, which replaces formal service. It should be dated after the petition and filed alongside the case.
- A Summons and Return of Service is issued and served, and on the without-children set a Request and Service Instruction Form tells the clerk how service is to be made.
- The other spouse then files an Answer — agreeing or disagreeing with the petition.
Grouped exactly as Kansas labels them, and nothing is added. Every one links to the official PDF.
All 2 forms
- Self-Represented Litigant Certification (OJA 218) — Certifies the filing is redacted per Supreme Court Rule 24 — required on every self-represented filing
- Poverty Affidavit / Waiver of Filing Fee — Filed instead of paying the docket fee, where the filer qualifies
Divorce with minor children 7 forms
- Instructions for Filing Divorce — With Children — Kansas Judicial Council’s step-by-step walkthrough
- Civil Cover Sheet (ODY) — Required by the clerk to open the case file
- Petition for Divorce — With Children — The document that opens the case
- Domestic Relations Affidavit — Sworn financial statement — required with children in the case
- Parenting Plan — Proposed custody, residency and parenting-time schedule
- Child Support Worksheet — Kansas Child Support Guidelines calculation
- Decree of Divorce — With Children — What the judge signs at the end
Divorce with minor children — where the spouse is served 1 form
- Summons and Return of Service — For the sheriff or process server to serve the other spouse
Divorce with minor children — where the spouse signs on 1 form
- Voluntary Entry of Appearance — The other spouse signs this instead of being formally served
Divorce without minor children 7 forms
- Instructions for Filing Divorce — Without Children — Kansas Judicial Council’s step-by-step walkthrough
- Civil Cover Sheet (ODY) — Required by the clerk to open the case file
- Petition for Divorce — Without Children — The document that opens the case
- Domestic Relations Affidavit — Sworn financial statement
- Worksheet for Divorce/Annulment Registration — Vital-statistics worksheet filed with the court
- Notice of Hearing — Sets and gives notice of the final hearing date
- Decree of Divorce — Without Children — What the judge signs at the end
Divorce without minor children — where the spouse is served 4 forms
- Request and Service Instruction Form — Tells the clerk how the other spouse is to be served
- Summons and Return of Service — For the sheriff or process server to serve the other spouse
- Answer to Petition — Agree (the other spouse files this) — If the other spouse agrees with the petition once served
- Answer to Petition — Disagree (the other spouse files this) — If the other spouse contests any part of the petition
Divorce without minor children — where the spouse signs on 1 form
- Voluntary Entry of Appearance — The other spouse signs this instead of being formally served
Kansas does not let you e-file this yourself
The checklist is not something you file. It is your worktable — what to do, in what order, and what it costs. The forms are what reaches the court, and this is how they get there in Kansas.
- Who may e-file
- Attorneys only. Douglas County District Court's clerk states it plainly: 'eFiling is for Attorneys only. If you are a member of the public attempting to file with the District Court, do not use eFiling.' A self-represented divorce filer files on paper with the Clerk of the District Court.
- Portal
- Kansas Courts eFiling (eFlex)
- Paper
- Required of you, and it is the normal route rather than a fallback — in person during business hours, by mail, or by drop box.
- What it costs
- card surcharge Per the Douglas County District Court clerk's official page, e-filing payment is processed immediately through a virtual wallet: credit card carries a 4% fee, or a $2 flat fee for e-check. (These apply to attorney e-filers; pro se filers do not use the system.)
- Account
- Not applicable to self-represented parties — the Kansas eFiling system is closed to them. Douglas County District Court’s clerk states plainly: ‘eFiling is for Attorneys only. If you are a member of the public attempting to file with the District Court, do not use eFiling.’
- With a fee waiver
- Douglas County's clerk states poverty affidavits can waive fees if filed with the submission; no statewide statement on e-filing charges was found.
- Worth knowing
- Kansas is close to the inverse of the usual worry: where a district court’s clerk addresses it, the self-represented filer is shut out of e-filing rather than pushed into it. Douglas County is the one we can quote saying so, and we have not found a statewide statement that every district does the same — Step five of this guide says it varies by district, which is the honest version. Plan on filing paper with the Clerk of the District Court in person during business hours (or by mail/drop box), and ask your own clerk rather than assuming. Kansas also uses a Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form (OJA 218) in district court practice. Readers should be warned that Kansas’s eFiling system has had documented outages, and the Supreme Court has previously adopted temporary rules for district court filing during them.
Each step with the forms it names and the money it costs. The full detail of every step is in the section below. Print this part.
| # | Step | Forms it names | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Confirm residency | None named | — |
| 2 | Redact, certify, and file your petition packet | None named | — |
| 3 | Get your spouse on record their answer is due 21 days after service | None named | $15 |
| 4 | Complete any locally-required parenting class before the hearing | None named | $60 |
| 5 | Wait out the 60 days from the day you filed | None named | — |
| 6 | Set the final hearing | None named | — |
| 7 | Show up and get the Decree signed | None named | — |
Every figure here is this page’s own, from the costs section below. A fee waiver application is free to file and is listed with the forms above.
| Filing fee, docket fee plus Supreme Court surcharge (K.S.A. 60-2001), statewide; Johnson County adds $1.50, Sedgwick County $2.00 | $195 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person (K.S.A. 28-110) — statewide flat fee | $15 |
| Notary / remote online notarization for the Domestic Relations Affidavit | $0–$25 |
| Sedgwick County (18th District) Kids First Workshop, if required | $60 |
| Parenting class in other counties, if locally required | check with clerk |
| Certified copy of your signed Decree | small fee — check with clerk |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | ~$210–$280 |
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two form sets, and what the rule requires — Kansas does not run a two-track system the way some states do — there is no separate “simplified” filing, and every divorce goes through the same forms and the same 60-day wait.
- Every form Kansas publishes for a divorce — The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Every Kansas form is free, most are fillable on screen, and being self-represented (Kansas courts call it "pro se" in older material, "self-represented litigant" in current rules) is common enough that the courts publish a whole rulebook just for it.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Kansas divorces run off two dates: the day you file, and the day your spouse is served (if they aren't signing on voluntarily).
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Full Social Security numbers, financial/bank/credit account numbers, driver's license and passport numbers, dates of birth beyond the year, and the names of minors who aren't parties — all must be cut down to the last 4 digits (or omitted) unless a specific exception applies.
- The Domestic Relations Affidavit — what it requires — Required in every Kansas divorce with minor children, and in most without — filed with the court, not just exchanged.
- What this costs — Kansas's core court costs are set by statute and the Supreme Court, so they barely move across the state — a Shawnee County filer pays the $195, and only Johnson and Sedgwick counties add anything, $1.50 and $2.00.
In this subject 8
1 · The two form sets, and what the rule requires
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two form sets, and what the rule requires — Kansas does not run a two-track system the way some states do — there is no separate “simplified” filing, and every divorce goes through the same forms and the same 60-day wait.
- Every form Kansas publishes for a divorce — The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case.
- Getting the forms and filling them in — Every Kansas form is free, most are fillable on screen, and being self-represented (Kansas courts call it "pro se" in older material, "self-represented litigant" in current rules) is common enough that the courts publish a whole rulebook just for it.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Kansas divorces run off two dates: the day you file, and the day your spouse is served (if they aren't signing on voluntarily).
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Full Social Security numbers, financial/bank/credit account numbers, driver's license and passport numbers, dates of birth beyond the year, and the names of minors who aren't parties — all must be cut down to the last 4 digits (or omitted) unless a specific exception applies.
- The Domestic Relations Affidavit — what it requires — Required in every Kansas divorce with minor children, and in most without — filed with the court, not just exchanged.
- What this costs — Kansas's core court costs are set by statute and the Supreme Court, so they barely move across the state — a Shawnee County filer pays the $195, and only Johnson and Sedgwick counties add anything, $1.50 and $2.00.
In this subject 8
Kansas does not run a two-track system the way some states do — there is no separate “simplified” filing, and every divorce goes through the same forms and the same 60-day wait. What the Kansas Judicial Council does publish is two complete form sets, one for cases with minor children and one for cases without, and they are not interchangeable. Inside each set, how the other spouse comes into the case decides whether there is a service step at all.
Residency first. K.S.A. 23-2703 requires one spouse to have been an actual resident of Kansas for 60 days immediately before filing. There is a narrow exception for someone stationed at a Kansas military post or reservation.
Divorce without minor children
K.S.A. ch. 23, art. 27; Kansas Judicial Council forms, Rev. 06/2025–07/2025
The Judicial Council’s without-children set: instructions, civil cover sheet, petition, Domestic Relations Affidavit, the vital-statistics registration worksheet, a Notice of Hearing, and the decree.
This set applies where all of these are true:
- The spouses have no minor children together, born to either of them.
- Neither spouse is pregnant.
This is the set that includes the Worksheet for Divorce/Annulment Registration and the Notice of Hearing, and the Answer forms the responding spouse uses once served.
Divorce with minor children
K.S.A. ch. 23, art. 27; Kansas Child Support Guidelines
The same shape of case, with three additions: the Domestic Relations Affidavit is required, a Parenting Plan sets out proposed custody, residency and parenting time, and a Child Support Worksheet runs the Guidelines calculation.
This set applies where either of these is true:
- The spouses have minor children together, born to either of them.
- Either spouse is pregnant.
The responding spouse’s forms on this set are published as a group rather than as individual PDFs; the link in the table opens that group.
How the other spouse comes into the case
Either set can run two ways, and this is what decides whether a sheriff or process server is involved.
Where the other spouse signs on voluntarily:
- They sign a Voluntary Entry of Appearance, which replaces formal service. It should be dated after the petition and filed alongside the case.
Where they do not:
- A Summons and Return of Service is issued and served, and on the without-children set a Request and Service Instruction Form tells the clerk how service is to be made.
- The other spouse then files an Answer — agreeing or disagreeing with the petition.
The Self-Represented Litigant Certification (OJA 218) certifies that a filing is redacted under Supreme Court Rule 24. It is required on every self-represented filing, on both sets and both service routes, and it cannot be skipped. Neither can the 60-day wait be shortened: agreeing on everything does not speed it up, because Kansas has no separate fast-track filing.
2 · Every form Kansas publishes for a divorce
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms are needed depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Each row says which set it belongs to and carries the revision date the clerk checks. Every one is free.
The Cusp is not a law firm and cannot tell you which forms are right for your case. Everything here is general information about how Kansas handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Kansas itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with a Kansas family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Rev. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instructions for Filing Divorce — Without Children | Kansas Judicial Council’s step-by-step walkthrough | Divorce without minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Instructions for Filing Divorce — With Children | Kansas Judicial Council’s step-by-step walkthrough | Divorce with minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Civil Cover Sheet (ODY) | Required by the clerk to open the case file | Divorce without minor children | 08/22 | Download |
| Civil Cover Sheet (ODY) | Required by the clerk to open the case file | Divorce with minor children | 08/22 | Download |
| Self-Represented Litigant Certification (OJA 218) | Certifies the filing is redacted per Supreme Court Rule 24 — required on every self-represented filing | All | 07/25 | Download |
| Petition for Divorce — Without Children | The document that opens the case | Divorce without minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Petition for Divorce — With Children | The document that opens the case | Divorce with minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Voluntary Entry of Appearance | The other spouse signs this instead of being formally served | Divorce without minor children — where the spouse signs on | 06/25 | Download |
| Voluntary Entry of Appearance | The other spouse signs this instead of being formally served | Divorce with minor children — where the spouse signs on | 06/25 | Download |
| Request and Service Instruction Form | Tells the clerk how the other spouse is to be served | Divorce without minor children — where the spouse is served | 06/25 | Download |
| Summons and Return of Service | For the sheriff or process server to serve the other spouse | Divorce without minor children — where the spouse is served | 06/25 | Download |
| Summons and Return of Service | For the sheriff or process server to serve the other spouse | Divorce with minor children — where the spouse is served | 06/25 | Download |
| Domestic Relations Affidavit | Sworn financial statement | Divorce without minor children | 01/25 | Download |
| Domestic Relations Affidavit | Sworn financial statement — required with children in the case | Divorce with minor children | 01/25 | Download |
| Parenting Plan | Proposed custody, residency and parenting-time schedule | Divorce with minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Child Support Worksheet | Kansas Child Support Guidelines calculation | Divorce with minor children | — | Download |
| Worksheet for Divorce/Annulment Registration | Vital-statistics worksheet filed with the court | Divorce without minor children | 11/19 | Download |
| Notice of Hearing | Sets and gives notice of the final hearing date | Divorce without minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Answer to Petition — Agree (the other spouse files this) | If the other spouse agrees with the petition once served | Divorce without minor children — where the spouse is served | 06/25 | Download |
| Answer to Petition — Disagree (the other spouse files this) | If the other spouse contests any part of the petition | Divorce without minor children — where the spouse is served | 06/25 | Download |
| Responding to a Petition — With Children (the forms the other spouse uses) | Instructions, Answer, and related forms for the other spouse to respond | Divorce with minor children — where the spouse is served | — | Download |
| Decree of Divorce — Without Children | What the judge signs at the end | Divorce without minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Decree of Divorce — With Children | What the judge signs at the end | Divorce with minor children | 06/25 | Download |
| Poverty Affidavit / Waiver of Filing Fee | Filed instead of paying the docket fee, where the filer qualifies | All | — | Download |
Every one of these is free. Download fresh each time — clerks reject superseded revisions. Full catalog: kjc.ks.gov/legal-forms/divorce.
3 · Getting the forms and filling them in
Nobody explains this part, so here it is. Every Kansas form is free, most are fillable on screen, and being self-represented (Kansas courts call it “pro se” in older material, “self-represented litigant” in current rules) is common enough that the courts publish a whole rulebook just for it.
Kansas does not let you e-file this yourself You file on paper
- Who may e-file
- Attorneys only. Douglas County District Court's clerk states it plainly: 'eFiling is for Attorneys only. If you are a member of the public attempting to file with the District Court, do not use eFiling.' A self-represented divorce filer files on paper with the Clerk of the District Court.
- Portal
- Kansas Courts eFiling (eFlex)
- Paper
- Required of you, and it is the normal route rather than a fallback — in person during business hours, by mail, or by drop box.
- What it costs
- card surcharge Per the Douglas County District Court clerk's official page, e-filing payment is processed immediately through a virtual wallet: credit card carries a 4% fee, or a $2 flat fee for e-check. (These apply to attorney e-filers; pro se filers do not use the system.)
- Account
- Not applicable to self-represented parties — the Kansas eFiling system is closed to them. Douglas County District Court’s clerk states plainly: ‘eFiling is for Attorneys only. If you are a member of the public attempting to file with the District Court, do not use eFiling.’
- With a fee waiver
- Douglas County's clerk states poverty affidavits can waive fees if filed with the submission; no statewide statement on e-filing charges was found.
- Worth knowing
- Kansas is close to the inverse of the usual worry: where a district court’s clerk addresses it, the self-represented filer is shut out of e-filing rather than pushed into it. Douglas County is the one we can quote saying so, and we have not found a statewide statement that every district does the same — Step five of this guide says it varies by district, which is the honest version. Plan on filing paper with the Clerk of the District Court in person during business hours (or by mail/drop box), and ask your own clerk rather than assuming. Kansas also uses a Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form (OJA 218) in district court practice. Readers should be warned that Kansas’s eFiling system has had documented outages, and the Supreme Court has previously adopted temporary rules for district court filing during them.
Step one — download them free
All of Kansas’s statewide divorce forms live with the Kansas Judicial Council:
kjc.ks.gov/legal-forms/divorce — and the state’s self-help site publishes plain-language checklists for both tracks: without children and with children.
Don’t reuse a saved copy or one a friend used last year. Most of these forms were revised in June 2025, and the Self-Represented Litigant Certification was revised in July 2025. The revision date (“Rev. 06/25”) is printed in the corner of every page.
Step two — fill them in on screen
Kansas Judicial Council forms are fillable PDFs. Open them in Adobe Acrobat Reader (free), type directly into the fields, and print. Write “N/A” anywhere something doesn’t apply rather than leaving it blank — a blank field reads as “I forgot this” to a clerk, not “not applicable.”
Step three — redact before you file (this is the part most states don’t have)
Kansas Supreme Court Rule 24 bars certain personal identifiers from anything you file — full Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, dates of birth beyond the year, driver’s license numbers, and more (see the full list in Section 6). Before you file anything, you attach Form OJA 218, the Self-Represented Litigant Certification, certifying either that your document is clean or that you’re asking the court to seal it. This isn’t optional paperwork — it’s required on every filing by a self-represented party.
Kansas Judicial Council forms already limit what you type in — but your Domestic Relations Affidavit and any attachments (pay stubs, account statements) are exactly where full account numbers and full birthdates sneak in. Redact everything down to the last four digits, use only the birth year, and attach Form OJA 218 to the front of your filing. Missing it, or filing an unredacted document, is one of the most common reasons a self-represented filing gets rejected or has to be refiled.
Step four — sign, and get the Domestic Relations Affidavit sworn
Your petition itself is just signed — no notary required. But the Domestic Relations Affidavit is a sworn statement, and needs a notary or the deputy clerk to witness your signature. Kansas allows remote online notarization for these documents; national services (Proof, BlueNotary, Notarize) or a bank branch both work, usually for $0–$25.
Step five — file them, in person or by mail
Kansas’s statewide eFiling system (kscourts.gov/eCourt/Kansas-Courts-eFiling) is mandatory for attorneys, but the Judicial Council’s own filing instructions describe self-represented filers calling the clerk and filing on paper — some districts allow self-represented e-filing by local option, others don’t. Call the clerk of your county’s district court before you show up to confirm whether they take paper only, e-file, or both, and to ask the exact docket fee. The $22 surcharge that sits on top of the $173 base is fixed by Supreme Court order under an authority the Legislature has to keep renewing — it was last renewed in 2026, to run to 30 June 2030 (see Section 8).
File a Poverty Affidavit instead of paying (K.S.A. 60-2001(b)). If you truly can’t pay by reason of poverty, no fee is required — the court reviews the affidavit rather than a clerk simply waving it through, so fill in the actual numbers on your income. Forms: kjc.ks.gov/legal-forms/poverty-affidavit.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Kansas divorces run off two dates: the day you file, and the day your spouse is served (if they aren’t signing on voluntarily). Put in what you have and we’ll turn Kansas’s statutes into actual dates on your calendar — then add them to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook in one click.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · The rejection-proofing checklist
These are the specific things that get Kansas filings bounced or delayed — every one of them costs weeks.
The redaction trap
Full Social Security numbers, financial/bank/credit account numbers, driver’s license and passport numbers, dates of birth beyond the year, and the names of minors who aren’t parties — all must be cut down to the last 4 digits (or omitted) unless a specific exception applies. This is the single most Kansas-specific trap in this whole process, because most people have never filed anything under a rule like this before.
Forms people forget
Timing
The 60 days runs from filing, not from service. People who count from the day their spouse was served consistently try to schedule their hearing too early — and it’s the filing date in K.S.A. 23-2708 that controls. Maintenance you didn’t ask for isn’t automatically on the table. If you want the court to consider spousal maintenance, say so in your petition — courts generally rule on what was actually requested, so if you’re unsure whether yours covers it, ask the clerk about amending your petition before the hearing rather than raising it for the first time that day.
7 · The Domestic Relations Affidavit — what it requires
Required in every Kansas divorce with minor children, and in most without — filed with the court, not just exchanged. It’s a sworn statement, so it’s signed in front of a notary or deputy clerk, not just signed.
The Domestic Relations Affidavit is where full account numbers and full birthdates most often slip through by accident, because you’re transcribing them from real statements. Cut every account number down to the last four digits before it goes anywhere near the court file, and attach Form OJA 218 confirming you did.
8 · What this costs
Kansas’s core court costs are set by statute and the Supreme Court, so they barely move across the state — a Shawnee County filer pays the $195, and only Johnson and Sedgwick counties add anything, $1.50 and $2.00 respectively. What differs locally is whether a parenting class is required, what it costs, and what attorneys in that market charge if you decide you need one.
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee, docket fee plus Supreme Court surcharge (K.S.A. 60-2001), statewide; Johnson County adds $1.50, Sedgwick County $2.00 | $195 |
| Sheriff service of process, per person (K.S.A. 28-110) — statewide flat fee | $15 |
| Notary / remote online notarization for the Domestic Relations Affidavit | $0–$25 |
| Sedgwick County (18th District) Kids First Workshop, if required | $60 |
| Parenting class in other counties, if locally required | check with clerk |
| Certified copy of your signed Decree | small fee — check with clerk |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | ~$210–$280 |
K.S.A. 60-2001 sets a $173 base docket fee, and the Supreme Court adds a non-judicial-personnel surcharge of up to $22. The Kansas Judicial Branch publishes the divorce total as $195.00, with $1.50 more in Johnson County and $2.00 more in Sedgwick County. The surcharge is the part that moves, and it moved in 2026: the authority had been written to run “on and after July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2025”, and the 2026 Legislature replaced both dates so that it now runs “on and after July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030” — 2026 House Bill 2393, § 18, enacted as L. 2026, ch. 35, effective 1 July 2026. The $173 base was not touched. A call to your county’s clerk of the district court before you write the check is still worth it, because the surcharge amount is fixed by Supreme Court order rather than by the statute.
What member-reported attorney costs look like, illustrative only
The figures below are member-reported, illustrative demo data from The Cusp community — not a rate card, and not what any specific firm charges. They exist to show the rough gap between doing this yourself and hiring counsel.
| County | Uncontested, attorney-assisted | Contested, per side |
|---|---|---|
| Johnson County (10th District) | $1,800–$3,500 | $8,000–$20,000+ |
| Sedgwick County (18th District) | $1,200–$2,500 | $5,000–$14,000+ |
| Shawnee County (3rd District) | $1,000–$2,200 | $4,500–$12,000+ |
Does cheating change the money in Kansas?
The statute says nothing either way, which is not the same as permission. What we read: K.S.A. 23-2902. How all fifty states answer this.
Reconciled, and it did not work? No fault ground survives in Kansas, so forgiving an affair cannot cost you the divorce — which is an answer rather than a gap: condonation, state by state. If the decision itself is what you are sitting with rather than the law, start here.
What this is. A guide to Kansas’s own process, built from the Kansas Family Law Code (K.S.A. Chapter 23, including §§ 23-2701, 23-2703, 23-2708, 23-2902), K.S.A. 60-212 and 60-2001, K.S.A. 28-110, Kansas Supreme Court Rule 24 and the Temporary Rule for Filing in a District Court by a Self-Represented Litigant, and the official forms and instructions published by the Kansas Judicial Council at kjc.ks.gov and the Kansas courts’ self-help site at self-help.kscourts.gov. The forms themselves are free and this guide links you to them rather than reselling them.
What this is not. The Cusp is not a law firm and does not practice law. Nothing here is legal advice, and nothing here tells you which choice is right for your particular situation — only what Kansas requires of each path. If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney; many offer free consultations, and one hour of advice is cheaper than a filing that gets bounced or a hearing that gets continued. Court clerks — including any deputy clerk who witnesses a signature — are not permitted to give legal advice.
Confirm current numbers with the clerk. Docket fees, local parenting-class requirements, and whether e-filing is available to self-represented parties vary by county and change over time. Where this guide could not verify an exact figure, link, or local requirement with confidence, it says so or points you to your county’s clerk of the district court rather than guessing.
Four things can happen to the house in a Kansas divorce
Kansas is not one of the twenty states where filing freezes both spouses automatically. That is not permission to sell: either of you can still ask a court for an order, and one may already exist in your case. But the automatic-order trap is not one you fall into here.
One of you buys the other out, you sell later, you sell now, or the court decides. For a great many people the right answer is not to sell at all – and three of the four routes earn us nothing.
The four routes, compared · Keeping it: the buyout and the carrying cost · Selling: capital gains, basis and timing · Finding an agent who has done a divorce sale · What two households cost
Need a vetted attorney, mediator, or financial analyst in Kansas?
Browse The Cusp’s professional directory — rated only by verified clients, never ranked by who paid the most.
Browse the directory →The Cusp · All 50 state kits · Find a professional · About
Ask for an introduction to an agent → — who we would introduce you to, what the referral fee is and who pays it, and why the answer is sometimes that you should not sell at all.
Everything we have written about Kansas specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Kansas’s own statute or its courts’ own published schedule, and carries the date we last checked it.
- Modifying support after divorce
- Modifying custody and parenting time after divorce
- Check your state’s rules in one place (modification checker)
- What it costs to file
- Child custody
- Child support
- Guardians ad litem and child representation
- Travel, custody and relocation
- Alimony
- Property, support and legal fees
- Protective orders
- Changing your name back
- Legal help you can afford
- Verified professionals
The most expensive mistakes in a divorce are made in the year after it, by people who thought the case was over. After the divorce is the checklist for that year — the health-coverage clock, the retirement order a decree cannot replace, and the beneficiary form that outranks your will.
Filing is one household becoming two, and the second one starts empty. The two-household list is what to send the people who keep asking how they can help — the second of everything, and the half of it that costs nothing. Some people call it a divorce registry.
All 24 Kansas divorce forms, listed by the number the clerk will ask for — 24 with an official form number, 24 linked straight to the state’s own file, each with its revision date where the state publishes one. Open the Kansas form list →
Common questions about filing for divorce in Kansas
Short answers to what people ask most before they start. Each one points at the part of this page that covers it in full.
How do I file for divorce in Kansas?
This page sets out the order it happens in for Kansas: which form opens the case, what has to be served on the other person and when, and what the court needs before it will finish. It is written to be followed in sequence rather than read through.
What forms do I need to file for divorce in Kansas?
The form list on this page gives the official Kansas form numbers, each one’s revision date, and a link to the copy on the court’s own site rather than a copy hosted here. Using a superseded revision is one of the most common reasons a filing comes back, which is why the dates are shown.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Kansas?
$195 to open the case ($1.50 more in Johnson County, $2.00 more in Sedgwick), and that is only the filing fee — it does not cover service, copies, any required class, or a lawyer. The full breakdown for Kansas, with every figure traced to the court’s own published schedule and dated, is at what it costs to file in Kansas.
What gets a Kansas divorce filing rejected?
This page has a section on exactly that — the specific mistakes that get a filing returned in Kansas rather than a general list. Most of them are procedural and cost weeks rather than money: the wrong form revision, a missing signature or notarization, service done in a way the state does not accept, or filing before a residency requirement is met.
How long does a divorce take in Kansas?
There is a timeline on this page built from Kansas’s own statutory day-counts, not from averages. The honest short answer is that the waiting period is a floor and not a prediction: an uncontested case can finish close to it, and a contested one is governed by the court’s calendar rather than the statute.
Where does the information on this page come from?
Kansas’s own courts and statutes. Every form links to the court’s site, every fee is quoted from the published schedule with the date it was last checked, and where something could not be confirmed from an official source this site says so instead of estimating. It is free, with no account and no paywall.
Does cheating change the money in Kansas?
Probably not, but for a different reason than you might think: Kansas’s support statute contains no misconduct factor at all. Silence is not permission and it is not a prohibition — seventeen states are in this position, and in them the written rule simply does not address it. The fifty-state table sets out the section this comes from, and the card higher up this page quotes your state’s own words.
Choosing an agent for a divorce sale is a different problem from choosing one for an ordinary sale: who the agent is allowed to talk to, who has to sign, what happens when one of you will not, and the three separate conflicts of interest that come up when one spouse found the agent first. How to choose a real estate agent for a divorce sale sets out what to ask, and how to check a credential yourself — no divorce credential is official with the National Association of Realtors.
The Cusp receives a referral fee from agents it vets and trains to handle divorce clients.
Key deadlines at a glance
These are the same deadlines the calculator above works out, shown as days counted from the day you file or the day your spouse is served. Use the calculator for your exact dates.
No minor children
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Petition filed | The day you file | The 60-day clock in K.S.A. 23-2708 starts counting from here — not from the day your spouse is served. |
| Spouse served | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Their answer clock starts now. |
| Their answer is due | 21 days after service | K.S.A. 60-212(a)(1)(A) — 21 days after service (41 days minimum if served by publication). No timely answer means you can look into a default with the clerk. |
| Earliest your case can be heard | 60 days after filing | K.S.A. 23-2708 — no divorce may be heard until 60 days after filing, unless a judge declares a genuine emergency on the record. This is a floor, not a target. |
With minor children
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Petition filed | The day you file | The 60-day clock in K.S.A. 23-2708 starts counting from here — not from the day your spouse is served. |
| Spouse served | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Their answer clock starts now. |
| Their answer is due | 21 days after service | K.S.A. 60-212(a)(1)(A) — 21 days after service (41 days minimum if served by publication). No timely answer means you can look into a default with the clerk. |
| Earliest your case can be heard | 60 days after filing | K.S.A. 23-2708 — no divorce may be heard until 60 days after filing, unless a judge declares a genuine emergency on the record. This is a floor, not a target. |
| Confirm your parenting class is done, if your district requires one | 60 days after filing | Not a statewide deadline — many districts want it finished before they’ll set a hearing. Ask your clerk what your county requires and by when. |
Your county
Divorce rules are set by the state, but each county or court has its own forms, deadlines, classes and filing habits. Choose yours.
Or go straight to your county or court:
Douglas CountyJohnson CountySedgwick CountyShawnee CountyWyandotte County (call to confirm)Douglas County
Douglas County lists court-approved online parenting courses and a Court Trustee mediation service focused on parenting plans. It offers Judicial Council divorce forms but warns they may not fully apply locally, and publishes non-binding Family Law Guidelines. Its local rules include domestic cases, pretrial statement and settlement conference rules; the rule text itself was not read.
Who to contact: Judicial and Law Enforcement Center, 111 East 11th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044; 785-832-5256
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Johnson County
Johnson County has a Self-Help Center with divorce topics and runs its own e-filing system rather than the statewide Kansas eCourt; per the statewide court page, self-represented litigants file paper documents. The county mental health department runs the Parents Forever class in three levels (90 minutes, 3 hours, 6 hours) with a virtual option and online registration. Fees are not listed on the page read.
Who to contact: District Court, 150 W. Santa Fe St, Olathe, KS 66061; (913) 715-3300
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Sedgwick County
Sedgwick County publishes detailed Family Law local rules. Under Rule 417 the petitioner pays for and attends a parenting class in cases with children, and the divorce is not finalized until it is done; the Kids First Workshop is listed at $60 (cash or money order), Tuesday evenings. The rules also cover temporary orders, court-ordered mediation, and pretrial and settlement conferences before trial. The e-filing page calls e-filing mandatory but does not address self-represented filers, so ask the clerk.
Who to contact: Court general line 316-660-5900; Kids First Workshop 316-660-5727
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Shawnee County
Shawnee County points self-represented filers to Kansas Legal Services interactive forms and its own Family Law Guidelines. Local rule DCR 3401 requires parents with minor children to attend a court-approved parenting program within four weeks of filing (unless the judge sets another deadline or waives it), requires a mediation showing before motions to change custody or residency, and requires domestic relations affidavits to be exchanged 14 days before a contested hearing.
Who to contact: Clerk, 200 SE 7th Street, Room 209, Topeka, KS 66603; (785) 251-6700; Domestic Relations (785) 251-6709
Local rules · Local forms · Court website
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Wyandotte County Call or check the court website to confirm
Wyandotte County’s local rules include Family Law Rules 201-210, which set a standard temporary order form, require a Domestic Relations Affidavit and child support worksheet with ex parte support requests, and send post-divorce support matters to a hearing officer (appeal within 10 days). Parenting class, e-filing and forms details were not confirmed on an official page.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Not listed? Your county clerk of court can tell you the local rules. These are general information from court and clerk pages, last checked 2026-11-10, not legal advice.
Serving the papers in Kansas? Sheriff, or an attorney, licensed investigator, or appointed person; you are not listed. Deadline: 90 days. (As we read the rules on 29 October 2026.) See who can serve a divorce summons and whether you can do it yourself, and find Kansas in our state-by-state serving table.
Stay current
We re-check the law. We will tell you when your state’s changes.
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How we can help
Understand the house first. Then talk to someone who gets it.
The house is usually the largest decision in a divorce, and the one people are least ready for. Here is what we do, in the order that makes sense.
1. Start with the facts, free
22 states have automatic orders that freeze both spouses the moment a divorce is filed, barring either one from selling or borrowing against the property. Is yours one of them?
Plain-English guides on what can happen to the house, what an automatic order stops you doing, and how the tax rules decide what a sale is worth. No account and nothing to buy.
- The four things that can happen to the house
- Selling the house: who signs, and the tax rules
- Keeping the house: the buyout and the carrying cost
2. Know when not to call an agent
Often the right answer is to wait, or to talk to your lawyer or an accountant first. We say so plainly. An agent is the wrong first call if nothing is filed, or if an order restricts what either of you can do with the property.
3. Talk to someone who gets it
When you do need an agent, we introduce you to a local agent who has completed our divorce real estate training and passed its 20-question exam. Before any introduction we check the license with the state regulator (any unresolved disciplinary action is a no), the agent’s closed sales, and a review rating of 4.7 or better. The introduction is free, and you are free to say no.
Ask for an introductionHow we are paid
You pay us nothing. Agents are not charged for the training, the exam or the free resources. If an introduction leads to a closed sale, the agent’s brokerage pays a referral fee out of its own commission, not out of your proceeds. A place on the panel cannot be bought.
General information, not legal or tax advice. The Cusp is not a law firm.
Selling a home in a divorce: what to ask a local listing agent
Selling the house is often the largest single decision in a divorce. These questions help you judge whether an agent has done it before. They do not replace your lawyer, who should approve the plan before anything is listed.
- Have you sold homes where both spouses had to sign, or where a court had to approve the sale? How many, and how recently?
- Does filing already restrain a sale in my state? Check the 50-state table and ask my lawyer before we sign anything.
- Who decides on price changes and which offers to accept when we disagree, and how will that be written down?
- Who pays the mortgage, taxes and insurance until closing, and what does the listing agreement say about it?
- Where will the sale proceeds be held until the decree says who gets what?
- How will you handle showings, access and lockboxes if we are not speaking?
- Will you give both spouses and both lawyers the same information at the same time?
- What happens to the listing agreement if we settle, reconcile or the case is delayed? What are the cancellation terms?
- Can I have your fee terms in writing and the names of past clients who sold during a divorce?