Filing for Divorce in Oklahoma
A divorce in Oklahoma begins when one spouse files a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The spouse who files for divorce is the petitioner and the other is the respondent.
Fault or No Fault?
Oklahoma law honors both fault and no-fault divorces, meaning one spouse may file for divorce from the other for various reasons.
In a no-fault divorce, the petition would state “incompatibility” as the reason for the split.
In a fault divorce, the petition may state any of the following reasons:
- Adultery
- Cruelty
- Neglect
- Fraud
- Insanity
- Imprisonment of one spouse in an institution
- Abandonment
Estimated Timeline
The length of time from the filing of the petition to the actual dissolution of a marriage varies depending on a number of factors, including whether the marriage is contested or uncontested, whether all residency requirements are met and whether there are minor children involved. Divorces with minor children have a mandatory 90 day waiting period, while divorces where no minor children are involved can take as little as 10 days.