Filing for divorce generally includes (1) filing the necessary paperwork with the appropriate state or county court; (2) paying the filing fee; and (3) having the paperwork properly served on (handed to) your spouse—known as service of process.

This paperwork generally consists of a complaint or petition that includes the names of the spouses, the grounds for the divorce (fault or no-fault), whether there are children involved in the marriage, and whether the spouse is seeking child custody, child support, or spousal support.

A spouse generally may file for divorce in the state and county in which the spouse resides—or in which the other spouse resides. In many states the spouse must have lived in the state or county for a specified period of time before filing for divorce. Laws regarding this residency requirement and where a lawsuit for divorce may be filed vary from state to state and with circumstances in which the spouses share minor children.

Laws regarding the requirements for filing for divorce are usually located in a state’s statutes—often in the family code or domestic relations code.

In Ohio, filing for divorce involves submitting the necessary paperwork to the court in the county where the filing spouse resides or where the other spouse resides. The paperwork typically includes a complaint or petition that outlines the details of the marriage, such as the names of the spouses, the grounds for divorce (either fault or no-fault), and information about children, custody, and support if applicable. Ohio allows for both fault-based and no-fault divorces. To file for divorce in Ohio, at least one spouse must have been a resident of the state for a minimum of six months before filing, and a resident of the county where the divorce is filed for at least 90 days. A filing fee is required, and the paperwork must be properly served to the other spouse, which is known as service of process. The specific statutes governing divorce in Ohio can be found in the state's family code or domestic relations code.