Published on 2/21/2026
If you and your spouse have already agreed to divorce, New York's joint uncontested divorce process is the most direct, quick, and affordable path to a final judgment. As of January 31, 2025, joint filing is available in every county statewide. Both spouses file together with no process server required and streamlined paperwork (7 core forms instead of 20+). Here's how it works, who qualifies, and how much it costs.
What is the New York Joint Uncontested Divorce?
Historically, the simplest divorce in New York required reviewing over 100 pages of paperwork and the awkward, costly step of "serving" your spouse with the initial divorce papers. This was necessary even if both spouses mutually agreed on the divorce.
On January 31, 2025, New York expanded the Joint Uncontested Divorce process statewide. This program removes the friction of the traditional divorce process by allowing spouses to file together.
The Benefits of Filing Jointly
•No intitial process server: Since you file together, you don't have to pay a professional to serve the initial divorce papers to your spouse.
•Streamlined paperwork: The court consolidated redundant forms into a single joint divorce packet.
•Faster processing: Because these cases are flagged as uncontested, they typically move through the court system faster than traditional filings.
