Divorce, Separation, and Annulment

To file for a divorce in Arkansas you must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before filing and have grounds for divorce. The the most commonly used grounds for divorce are "general indignities" and "separation for 18 months." The grounds must have happened within the last five years. If your spouse does not want the divorce, then you have to prove the grounds for divorce and residency at the final hearing. 

Every divorce starts, legally, with one person (the plaintiff) filing a complaint asking the court to grant a divorce decree. The person who files the complaint asking for the divorce is the plaintiff. The person who the divorce is filed against is the defendant. The resources below explain more rules and provide instructions about being granted a divorce in Arkansas.

This section contains links that offer information about annulment, divorce, and separation law in Arkansas. There are pdf fact sheets, streaming video and interactive forms below. Select a different topic here.

Fact Sheets

• "Annulment"
• "Covenant Marriage"
• "Divorce"
• "Divorce Packet"  * PDF
• "Divorce Tax Considerations"
• "Income Tax Proof of Dependents"
• "Legal Separation"
• "Service"
• "Service by Publication, or Warning Order"

Forms

• Form—Confidential Information Sheet (Court Cover Sheets)
• Form—Confidential Information Sheet (Instructions) (Court Cover Sheets)
• Form—Domestic Relations Cover Sheet and Instructions (Court Cover Sheets)
• Interactive Form Packet—Divorce Packet
  This resource creates a divorce form packet personalized with your information. Click the link above to get started or learn more about this resource.  
• Interactive Form Packet—Contempt
  This resource creates a form packet personalized with your information.  It includes a demand letter, motion for contempt, and an order to show cause for use in cases where the opposing party is not following a court order.  
• Sample Form Packet—Contempt (this packet includes a Sample Demand Letter, Motion for Contempt, and an Order to Show Cause for use in cases where the opposing party is not following a Court Order)

Videos

• Service Members Civil Relief Act (Overview) Part one in a four-part series for Individuals with Military Connections that may benefit from the protections and rights provided by the SCRA. These rights include family law issues. This video factsheet was produced by the Stateside Legal Project.

Other

• Arkansas Circuit Court Domestic Relations—Information and Forms
• Arkansas Law—Arkansas Code—Unannotated (LexisNexis)
• Arkansas Vital Records—Marriage and Divorce Records
• Divorce in the Military

Disclaimer:

We are providing this information as a public service. We try to make it accurate. Sometimes the laws change. We cannot promise that the information is always up-to-date and correct. We do not intend this information to be legal advice. We do not intend it as advertising or solicitation. By providing this information, we are not acting as your lawyer. Always talk to a competent lawyer, if you can, before taking legal action. Some of the items listed here have not been prepared by us, but rather are links to information prepared and posted by others. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information posted on these sites.