Divorce in Arkansas, start to finish
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Arkansas never adopted no-fault divorce the way most states did. There’s no box you check that just means “we grew apart” — you either prove one of seven fault grounds, or you prove you’ve already lived completely apart for eighteen straight months. Pick the wrong lane and a judge can send the whole case back to zero. That’s what this guide sorts out first, then the forms, the deadlines, and the one corroboration rule that catches almost every self-represented filer here.
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 Arkansas, and the sequence with its costs.
First, which route you are on. Each one opens to the conditions the rule actually sets.
The 18-month separation ground
Ark. Code § 9-12-301(b)(5)
Available only where all of these are true:
- The spouses have lived completely separate and apart, without cohabitation — not even once — for 18 continuous months or more.
The seven fault grounds
Ark. Code § 9-12-301(b)
The seven fault grounds under § 9-12-301(b) are:
- Adultery.
- Cruel or barbarous treatment endangering the other spouse’s life.
- Indignities that render the other spouse’s situation intolerable — courts want specific incidents.
- A felony or other infamous-crime conviction.
- Habitual drunkenness for a year or more.
- Willful failure to support.
- Impotence at the time of the marriage.
Grouped exactly as Arkansas labels them. 3 of 6 link straight to the official PDF; the rest are listed by number so you can find them in the state’s own catalog.
All 6 forms
- Domestic Relations Cover Sheet — Required with every domestic relations filing, statewide, under Administrative Order Number 8
- Complaint for Divorce — No single statewide form — a verified complaint stating the ground is drafted, or generated with Legal Aid’s free interactive packet (Section 3)
- Summons — Issued with the complaint; the template comes from your circuit clerk, not a statewide source
- Affidavit of Financial Means — Sworn financial disclosure, exchanged between the spouses before any hearing that sets or modifies child support or alimony — Administrative Order Number 10
- Fee Waiver (In Forma Pauperis) — Where the $165 filing fee cannot be afforded — based on Ark. R. Civ. P. Rule 72 and the federal poverty guidelines
- Domestic Relations Disposition Sheet — Filed when the case concludes, recording the outcome — statewide form
Arkansas does not let you e-file this yourself, unless the court has ordered e-filing in your case
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 Arkansas.
- Portal
- eFlex (Arkansas Judiciary Electronic Filing)
- Paper
- Required of you, unless the court has ordered e-filing in your case. Conventional filing is preserved for self-represented filers.
- What it costs
- Nothing extra on paper: the filing fee is $165. Administrative Order 21 authorizes a $20 electronic filing fee when a case is opened through eFlex ($185 in all), so it applies only if you e-file. The one-time $100 account fee below is confirmed.
- Account
- Only in a case where the court has mandated electronic filing, according to the eFlex terms of use. Then it takes one hour of online training, a one-time $100 registration fee payable to the Bar of Arkansas, a notarized Affidavit in Support of Self-Represented Litigant Request for Electronic Filing Account, and an online account request at efile.arcourts.gov.
- Worth knowing
- A self-represented Arkansas divorce filer files on paper. Where a court has ordered e-filing in a case, an account costs a one-time $100 plus training and a notarized affidavit. Conventional filing is expressly preserved for self-represented filers. In 'eFiling Lite' counties the case-initiating divorce complaint must be filed conventionally regardless.
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 you actually have grounds | None named | — |
| 2 | Confirm residency | None named | — |
| 3 | File your verified complaint, cover sheet, and $165 fee | Domestic Relations Cover Sheet | — |
| 4 | Get your spouse served they then have 30 days | None named | — |
| 5 | Line up your corroborating witness | None named | — |
| 6 | File the Affidavit of Financial Means if kids or support | None named | — |
| 7 | Wait out the 30-day floor from filing | None named | — |
| 8 | Get your decree | 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, statewide (confirmed at $165 in both Pulaski and Washington County’s published fee schedules; Benton County confirms the fee is set by state law rather than set locally) | $165 |
| Sheriff or private process server, per person served (varies by county — ask your clerk or sheriff’s office when you file) | check locally |
| Notarizing your corroborating witness’s affidavit, if not done at the clerk’s counter | $0–$10 |
| Certified copy of your final decree, per copy (varies by county clerk) | check locally |
| Service by warning order (publication), if you can’t locate your spouse | $100+ |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | ~$165–$300 |
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Arkansas divorces run on Ark. Code § 9-12-301 — eight grounds, period.
- Every form Arkansas publishes for a divorce — Unlike Florida or Connecticut, Arkansas has never published a statewide packet of standardized family-law forms; your circuit clerk’s own template, or the free tool built by Legal Aid of Arkansas, does that job instead.
- Getting the forms and filing them in — Arkansas doesn't publish a statewide Complaint for Divorce.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Arkansas's clocks run off up to three dates: when your separation began (if you're using the 18-month ground), when you filed, and when your spouse was served.
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Ark. Code § 9-12-306(c) is explicit: proof of your residency, and proof of your separation and its continuity if you're using the 18-month ground, must always be independently corroborated — by someone other than you or your spouse — even in a fully agreed, unopposed case.
- The Affidavit of Financial Means — what it requires — Only relevant if child support or alimony is on the table.
- What this costs — File a motion to proceed in forma pauperis under Rule 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure.
In this subject 8
1 · The two routes, and what the rule requires
The short version8 points · tap one to jump to it
- The two routes, and what the rule requires — Arkansas divorces run on Ark. Code § 9-12-301 — eight grounds, period.
- Every form Arkansas publishes for a divorce — Unlike Florida or Connecticut, Arkansas has never published a statewide packet of standardized family-law forms; your circuit clerk’s own template, or the free tool built by Legal Aid of Arkansas, does that job instead.
- Getting the forms and filing them in — Arkansas doesn't publish a statewide Complaint for Divorce.
- Your deadlines, calculated — Arkansas's clocks run off up to three dates: when your separation began (if you're using the 18-month ground), when you filed, and when your spouse was served.
- The order it actually happens in
- The rejection-proofing checklist — Ark. Code § 9-12-306(c) is explicit: proof of your residency, and proof of your separation and its continuity if you're using the 18-month ground, must always be independently corroborated — by someone other than you or your spouse — even in a fully agreed, unopposed case.
- The Affidavit of Financial Means — what it requires — Only relevant if child support or alimony is on the table.
- What this costs — File a motion to proceed in forma pauperis under Rule 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure.
In this subject 8
Arkansas divorces run on Ark. Code § 9-12-301 — eight grounds, period. Seven of them require proving that something happened. The eighth just requires proving the spouses have already been apart, completely, for eighteen continuous months. Which of the two applies is the single biggest reason self-represented Arkansas cases stall, because Arkansas will not grant a divorce merely because both spouses want one — a judge can dismiss a complaint for want of grounds even where the other spouse never objects.
Ark. Code § 9-12-307(a)(1)(A) requires one spouse to have actually lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing — and then to keep living here through at least 3 full months before a judge can sign the decree. There is no shortcut around it.
The 18-month separation ground
Ark. Code § 9-12-301(b)(5)
Where it applies, the statute says the court shall grant the divorce. No fault has to be proven or argued.
This is the ground that does not require proving anything happened — only that the separation is real and unbroken.
Available only where all of these are true:
- The spouses have lived completely separate and apart, without cohabitation — not even once — for 18 continuous months or more.
Even in a fully agreed, unopposed case, Arkansas still requires someone other than either spouse to independently corroborate residency and separation. See the trap in Section 6 before assuming that “uncontested” means only the two of you.
The seven fault grounds
Ark. Code § 9-12-301(b)
Where 18 months of separation has not run, the case has to be built on one of Arkansas’s other seven grounds. Most commonly that is adultery, cruel treatment, or “indignities” — a real legal term here, but one where courts want specific incidents, not just the word.
A fault ground does not make a case contested. Most fault-ground divorces in Arkansas are entirely agreed once both people are ready to put the ground in writing.
The seven fault grounds under § 9-12-301(b) are:
- Adultery.
- Cruel or barbarous treatment endangering the other spouse’s life.
- Indignities that render the other spouse’s situation intolerable — courts want specific incidents.
- A felony or other infamous-crime conviction.
- Habitual drunkenness for a year or more.
- Willful failure to support.
- Impotence at the time of the marriage.
Where neither 18 months of separation nor a provable fault ground is there yet, there is no ground to file on. Two things are available in the meantime: waiting until § 9-12-301(b)(5) becomes available, and separate maintenance under Ark. Code § 9-12-312, which addresses support and living arrangements while the 18 months runs.
A verbal “I won’t fight it” waives nothing under Arkansas law. Where a spouse cooperates, get it in writing — a signed county waiver can replace both a process server and courtroom corroboration testimony (Section 3). Where they do not, budget for sheriff or process-server fees and expect the corroboration and proof requirements in Section 6 to actually get used.
2 · Every form Arkansas publishes for a divorce
The complete list, not a shortlist — because which forms a case needs depends on facts only you and, if you need one, your lawyer can weigh. Unlike Florida or Connecticut, Arkansas has never published a statewide packet of standardized family-law forms; your circuit clerk’s own template, or the free tool built by Legal Aid of Arkansas, does that job instead. Each row says which route it belongs to and where the form actually comes from.
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 Arkansas handles divorce, and every form below is published free by Arkansas itself — you do not have to buy anything from anyone to get them. If your situation is not straightforward, a consultation with an Arkansas family lawyer costs far less than fixing a filing that went wrong.
| Form | What it is | Route | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic Relations Cover Sheet | Required with every domestic relations filing, statewide, under Administrative Order Number 8 | All | AO8 | Download ↓ |
| Complaint for Divorce | No single statewide form — a verified complaint stating the ground is drafted, or generated with Legal Aid’s free interactive packet (Section 3) | All | — | see clerk |
| Summons | Issued with the complaint; the template comes from your circuit clerk, not a statewide source | All | — | see clerk |
| Affidavit of Financial Means | Sworn financial disclosure, exchanged between the spouses before any hearing that sets or modifies child support or alimony — Administrative Order Number 10 | All | AO10 | Download ↓ |
| Entry of Appearance / Waiver of Service (and Waiver of Corroboration, if uncontested) | Lets a cooperating spouse skip formal sheriff service — ask your circuit clerk for their local version | All | — | see clerk |
| Fee Waiver (In Forma Pauperis) | Where the $165 filing fee cannot be afforded — based on Ark. R. Civ. P. Rule 72 and the federal poverty guidelines | All | Rule 72 | Download ↓ |
| Domestic Relations Disposition Sheet | Filed when the case concludes, recording the outcome — statewide form | All | AO8 | Download ↓ |
The statewide forms above are free. Anything marked “see clerk” genuinely varies by county in Arkansas — that is not this guide being vague, it is how Arkansas built the system. Legal Aid’s free interactive tool (Section 3) is the fastest way to fill that gap for a simple case.
3 · Getting the forms and filing them in
Nobody explains this part for Arkansas specifically, so here it is. There’s no single official source for every document — here’s what’s real, what’s free, and where it actually comes from.
Arkansas does not let you e-file this yourself You file on paper
- Who may e-file
- Attorneys, those admitted pro hac vice, legal assistants filing for an attorney, and — on paper only — ‘a self-represented litigant in a case where the court has mandated electronic filing.’ That last route cannot help you open a divorce, because the case does not exist yet for a court to have mandated anything in it.
- Portal
- eFlex (Arkansas Judiciary Electronic Filing)
- Paper
- Required of you. File with the Circuit Clerk for your county.
- What it costs
- Nothing extra if you file on paper, as you will. The $20 electronic filing fee authorized by Administrative Order 21 (per the official Arkansas eFlex Filer Interface user guide) applies only to a case opened through eFlex.
- Account
- Effectively unavailable for a new divorce. eFlex eligibility for a self-represented person requires a case in which the court has already mandated e-filing; registration also requires an hour of online training, a notarised affidavit, and a one-time $100 fee payable to the Bar of Arkansas, which is not waivable.
- With a fee waiver
- Not confirmed, and the $100 registration fee is stated without any waiver provision.
- Worth knowing
- Arkansas is the only state on this list that charges a self-represented person to apply for access they almost certainly cannot use. The eligibility clause is circular by construction: you may register for a case that already mandates e-filing, and a divorce you have not filed yet cannot be one.
Step one — build your complaint
Arkansas doesn’t publish a statewide Complaint for Divorce. You have two honest options: use Legal Aid of Arkansas’s free interactive Divorce Packet, which interviews you and produces a complaint, summons, and proposed decree for a simple, uncontested case — or ask your circuit clerk’s office whether they hand out a local template before you draft one yourself. Whichever you use, your complaint has to be verified (signed under oath, not just signed), and it has to state your grounds with enough specifics that a judge could grant it on the papers alone.
Legal Aid of Arkansas built this specifically so self-represented filers don’t have to draft from a blank page — their own site calls it “highly recommended… to reduce the risk of user mistakes.” It’s built for simple, uncontested cases; if yours is contested or complicated, talk to an attorney instead. arlawhelp.gavel.io — Divorce Packet (a print-only PDF version is also available if you’d rather not use the interactive interview).
Step two — attach the Domestic Relations Cover Sheet
This one is standardized statewide, under Administrative Order Number 8. Every circuit clerk in Arkansas requires it stapled to your complaint for case classification — file without it and expect it bounced back at the counter.
Step three — get your spouse served, or get their waiver
A county sheriff or a private process server can serve the summons and complaint — fees vary by county, so ask when you file. If your spouse is genuinely cooperating, most circuit clerks carry a local Entry of Appearance, Waiver of Service, Waiver of Notice, and Waiver of Corroboration of Grounds form — one signature that skips the process server and, in a truly uncontested case, waives the courtroom corroboration testimony described in Section 6. Ask your clerk for their version; it isn’t the same PDF in every county.
A waiver of service dated before your complaint is filed isn’t valid — the sequencing matters to a clerk even when both spouses are fully on board. File first, then get it signed.
Step four — file it, on paper or through eFlex
Arkansas’s statewide e-filing system is called eFlex. Self-represented filers can request an account, but plenty of circuit clerks still expect paper at the counter for a first filing — call ahead and ask which your county actually wants before you show up (or upload) with the wrong format. The $165 filing fee applies statewide; if you can’t cover it, Rule 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure lets you ask to proceed in forma pauperis — see Section 8.
4 · Your deadlines, calculated
Arkansas’s clocks run off up to three dates: when your separation began (if you’re using the 18-month ground), when you filed, and when your spouse was served. Enter what applies and we’ll turn the statute into actual dates — then add all of it to Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook in one click.
Not shown above: you must also stay an Arkansas resident through 3 full months before your decree — not just the 60 days before you filed (Ark. Code § 9-12-307(a)(1)(A)). If your residency clock started recently, that rule, not the 30-day floor, may be what actually sets your earliest possible decree date.
5 · The order it actually happens in
6 · The rejection-proofing checklist
This is the part that’s genuinely worth paying attention to. These are the specific things that stall or dismiss Arkansas filings — every one of them costs weeks, and one of them surprises almost everyone who assumes “uncontested” means “just paperwork.”
Grounds and corroboration
Ark. Code § 9-12-306(c) is explicit: proof of your residency, and proof of your separation and its continuity if you’re using the 18-month ground, must always be independently corroborated — by someone other than you or your spouse — even in a fully agreed, unopposed case. It can be a verified affidavit rather than someone showing up in person, but it cannot be skipped by agreement. Line up who that person is before you file, not the week of your hearing.
Forms people forget
Timing
Arkansas allows service by warning order (publication) when personal service isn’t possible. But if your spouse never appears in the case, Ark. Code § 9-12-307 requires you personally to have maintained an actual Arkansas residence for a full 3 months before any decree — the ordinary 60-day-before-filing rule isn’t enough in that situation. Talk to the clerk or an attorney before relying on publication.
7 · The Affidavit of Financial Means — what it requires
Only relevant if child support or alimony is on the table. Required by Administrative Order Number 10, Section IV: “Both parties must complete and exchange this affidavit prior to any hearing” that sets or modifies support — it’s sworn, not just filled in.
- Weekly take-home pay and gross wages Plus payroll deductions: taxes, FICA, health insurance, existing child support.
- Payments from any other source Periodic or one-time — the form asks for all of them.
- Cash on hand and bank account balances Every account, not just the primary one.
- Stocks, bonds, and their sources
- Debts in three categories Debts in your name only, debts in your spouse’s name only, and debts in both your names — balance and monthly payment for each.
- Monthly expenses, itemized Household utilities, insurance, auto costs, children’s expenses (childcare, education, clothing, medical), personal expenses, pets, and medical services.
The order requires both spouses to complete and exchange the affidavit before the hearing — filing your own copy with the court isn’t the same as your spouse actually having seen it, and judges routinely ask about this at the hearing itself.
8 · What this costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee, statewide (confirmed at $165 in both Pulaski and Washington County’s published fee schedules; Benton County confirms the fee is set by state law rather than set locally) | $165 |
| Sheriff or private process server, per person served (varies by county — ask your clerk or sheriff’s office when you file) | check locally |
| Notarizing your corroborating witness’s affidavit, if not done at the clerk’s counter | $0–$10 |
| Certified copy of your final decree, per copy (varies by county clerk) | check locally |
| Service by warning order (publication), if you can’t locate your spouse | $100+ |
| Typical all-in, doing it yourselves, uncontested | ~$165–$300 |
File a motion to proceed in forma pauperis under Rule 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure. The clerk weighs the federal poverty guidelines against what you own and earn — if approved, the $165 fee and the cost of sheriff service are both waived. See Legal Aid of Arkansas’s fee-waiver guide for the process.
What people report paying an attorney
| County | Member-reported, uncontested | Member-reported, contested |
|---|---|---|
| Pulaski (Little Rock) | ~$1,200–$2,500 | ~$4,500–$12,000+ |
| Washington (Fayetteville) | ~$1,000–$2,200 | ~$4,000–$10,000+ |
| Benton (Bentonville / Rogers) | ~$1,200–$2,600 | ~$4,500–$11,000+ |
Illustrative demo figures only, self-reported by Cusp community members rather than verified against any billing database or bar association survey — treat these as a rough starting conversation with a local attorney, not a quote.
Does cheating change the money in Arkansas?
The statute says nothing either way, which is not the same as permission. What we read: § 9-12-312 sets no misconduct factor. How all fifty states answer this.
Reconciled, and it did not work? Arkansas has written the old forgiveness doctrine out of its code: 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 Arkansas’s own process, built from Title 9 of the Arkansas Code (particularly §§ 9-12-301, 9-12-306, 9-12-307, and 9-12-312), Rules 12 and 72 of the Arkansas Rules of Civil Procedure, Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Orders Number 8 and Number 10, and forms and guidance published by the Arkansas Judiciary (arcourts.gov) and Legal Aid of Arkansas (arlawhelp.org). The statewide forms this guide links to 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 path is right for your particular situation — only what Arkansas requires of each one. Arkansas is unusually decentralized: many forms genuinely vary by county, filing fees for anything beyond the base $165 can vary locally, and not every judge allows every procedural shortcut described here (divorce by affidavit in particular). If your case involves contested custody, a business, hidden assets, domestic violence, a covenant marriage, or a spouse with a lawyer, talk to an attorney — many offer free consultations, and one hour of advice is cheaper than a dismissed complaint.
Free alternatives you should know about. Legal Aid of Arkansas’s interactive Divorce Packet is free and built specifically for simple, uncontested cases — if that’s your situation, start there before paying for anything. Where this guide could not verify an exact figure, form, or local rule with confidence, it says so and points you to your circuit clerk rather than guessing.
Four things can happen to the house in an Arkansas divorce
Arkansas 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 Arkansas?
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 Arkansas specifically. Every figure on these pages is quoted from Arkansas’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
- 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 7 Arkansas divorce forms, listed by the number the clerk will ask for — 7 with an official form number, 4 linked straight to the state’s own file, each with its revision date where the state publishes one. Open the Arkansas form list →
Common questions about filing for divorce in Arkansas
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 Arkansas?
This page sets out the order it happens in for Arkansas: 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 Arkansas?
The form list on this page gives the official Arkansas 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 Arkansas?
$165 to open the case on paper ($185 only if you e-file, which adds a $20 electronic filing fee), and that is only the filing fee — it does not cover service, copies, any required class, or a lawyer. The full breakdown for Arkansas, with every figure traced to the court’s own published schedule and dated, is at what it costs to file in Arkansas.
What gets an Arkansas divorce filing rejected?
This page has a section on exactly that — the specific mistakes that get a filing returned in Arkansas 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 Arkansas?
There is a timeline on this page built from Arkansas’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?
Arkansas’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 Arkansas?
Probably not, but for a different reason than you might think: Arkansas’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.
Which ground are you using? A fault ground
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint filed | The day you file | Your case officially opens. The 30-day statewide floor starts counting from here. |
| Spouse served, or waiver signed | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Their response clock starts now. |
| Earliest possible date for your decree | 30 days after filing | Ark. Code § 9-12-307(a)(1)(B) — no decree can be granted until at least 30 days after filing, no matter how agreed the case is. |
| Spouse’s answer is due | 30 days after service | Ark. R. Civ. P. 12(a) — 30 days from service. If they don’t answer and never signed a waiver, you can move toward default — but you’ll still need to independently corroborate your grounds and residency. |
Which ground are you using? 18-month separation
| Step | When | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Complaint filed | The day you file | Your case officially opens. The 30-day statewide floor starts counting from here. |
| Spouse served, or waiver signed | The day your spouse is served (or signs a waiver) | Their response clock starts now. |
| Earliest possible date for your decree | 30 days after filing | Ark. Code § 9-12-307(a)(1)(B) — no decree can be granted until at least 30 days after filing, no matter how agreed the case is. |
| Spouse’s answer is due | 30 days after service | Ark. R. Civ. P. 12(a) — 30 days from service. If they don’t answer and never signed a waiver, you can move toward default — but you’ll still need to independently corroborate your grounds and residency. |
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:
Benton County Circuit Court (call to confirm)Faulkner County Circuit CourtPulaski County Circuit CourtSebastian County Circuit CourtWashington County Circuit Court (call to confirm)Benton County Circuit Court Call or check the court website to confirm
The Benton County circuit clerk’s FAQ says the office does not provide forms to file for divorce and cannot give legal advice. The statewide Domestic Relations cover sheets are on the state judiciary forms page. We could not confirm e-filing, parenting class or local rule details.
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Faulkner County Circuit Court
The Faulkner County circuit clerk’s page lists a $165 fee for starting a circuit or domestic relations case and links to a fillable court forms page. Its e-filing information covers real estate recording only, not court cases. The page shows two different street addresses, so confirm the location before visiting. Local rules were not reviewed.
Who to contact: Circuit Clerk, 724 Locust Ave., Conway, AR 72034 (page footer shows 801 Locust Ave; confirm); 501-450-4911
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Pulaski County Circuit Court
The Pulaski clerk’s forms page lists a Domestic Relations cover sheet, a confidential informant sheet and a domestic subpoena, and links to more forms on the state site. The state eFlex page describes a pilot that allows domestic relations e-filing in Pulaski County, but it uses pilot-phase wording, so confirm current e-filing rules with the clerk. Local rules and standing orders were not reviewed.
Who to contact: 401 W Markham St, Suite 100, Little Rock, AR 72201; main (501) 340-8500; Court Clerks (501) 340-8431
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Sebastian County Circuit Court
The Sebastian County clerk’s FAQ lists a $165 divorce filing fee and advises hiring an attorney when children are involved. For cases without children or property it points to self-help forms at arlegalservices.org, and answer forms for a summons are available at the clerk’s office. The county has offices in both Fort Smith and Greenwood. Local rules and e-filing were not reviewed.
Who to contact: Circuit Clerk, Sebastian County Courts Building, 901 South B Street, Room 205, Fort Smith, AR 72901; 479-782-1046. Greenwood Courthouse, 301 E. Center, Room 103, Greenwood, AR 72936; 479-996-4175
Where this comes from
Last checked 2026-11-10. Tell us if this is out of date
Washington County Circuit Court Call or check the court website to confirm
The Washington County circuit clerk’s page says the office handles domestic relations cases and that many court documents are filed electronically through eFlex, with mail or courier available for self-represented filers who cannot use it. The page does not name divorce forms, and the phone number it lists is for protective-order questions. Check with the clerk about divorce forms, fees and local rules.
Who to contact: Circuit Clerk mailing address listed on the clerk page: 280 N. College Ave., Suite 302, Fayetteville, AR 72701
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 Arkansas? Sheriff or a court-appointed server; you may use only certified mail or commercial delivery. Deadline: 120 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 Arkansas in our state-by-state serving table.
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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?