Kentucky Divorce Papers: Every Form You Need to File

Walking into your county Circuit Court Clerk's office without the right paperwork gets your case sent back before it starts. Kentucky uses standardized Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) forms, and every single one is available free from kycourts.gov — but the court doesn't tell you which forms apply to your situation or what order to file them.

Here's the complete document inventory, organized by when you need each form.

The Core Filing Packet

Every Kentucky divorce starts with these documents submitted together to the Circuit Court Clerk:

Verified Petition for Dissolution of Marriage — The initiating document. You must sign it under oath, stating your residency (180+ days in Kentucky under KRS 403.140), the date of marriage, and that the marriage is irretrievably broken. For uncontested cases without children, the AOC-252 packet bundles this with several other required forms.

Case Data Information Sheet (AOC-FC-3) — An administrative routing form the clerk uses to categorize your case. Missing this form means the clerk refuses to accept your petition.

Certificate of Divorce or Annulment (VS-300) — A vital statistics registration form required by the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. This also must be submitted at filing.

Privacy redaction compliance — Under Civil Rule 7.03, you must redact sensitive identifiers throughout your entire filing. Show only the last four digits of Social Security numbers and financial account numbers, and only the year of birth. An unredacted document can be stricken by the judge, resetting your timeline.

Forms for Uncontested Cases (AOC-252 Packet)

If you and your spouse agree on everything — property, debts, maintenance, and custody if children are involved — you'll use the standardized AOC-252 packet. It contains:

• AOC-252.1 — Waiver of Service (if your spouse voluntarily accepts the petition)
• AOC-252.4 — Separation Agreement (your negotiated terms on property, debts, support)
• AOC-252.5 — Deposition of Petitioner (sworn written testimony that can replace a court appearance)
• AOC-252.6 — Proposed Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law, and Decree
• AOC-252.8 — Motion to Submit for Entry of Decree

This packet lets many couples finalize their divorce entirely on paper, without stepping inside a courtroom.

Financial Disclosure Forms

Within 45 days of service, both spouses must exchange financial disclosures under FCRPP 2(3):

Preliminary Verified Disclosure Statement (AOC-238) — A sworn inventory of all assets, debts, income, and monthly expenses. You exchange the supporting documents directly with your spouse (keeping financial details private), then file a Notice of Service of Preliminary Financial Disclosures with the clerk.

Final Verified Disclosure Statement (AOC-239) — Required before trial or final submission in contested cases and cases with children. If nothing has changed since your preliminary disclosure, you can file the Affidavit of No Change (AOC-239.2) instead.

Forms for Cases with Children

When minor children are involved, add these to your filing:

• Child Support Worksheet — Kentucky uses an income-shares model calculated from both parents' gross monthly income
• Uniform Child Support Order (AOC-152) — The standardized court order for support obligations
• Parenting education completion certificate — Both parents must complete a court-approved program like Families in Transition before the final decree can be entered

Additional Forms You Might Need

Motion for Fee Waiver (AOC-026) — If you can't afford the $188 base filing fee, this form requests the court to waive costs under the Sliding Scale of Indigency.

Status Quo Order (AOC-237) — Freezes marital assets and prevents either spouse from transferring property, canceling insurance, or draining accounts during the case. Some counties enter this automatically at filing; others require a separate motion.

Credible Witness Affidavit — Under KRS 403.025, you cannot self-certify your Kentucky residency. A third party — neighbor, employer, landlord, or relative — must provide a sworn statement confirming you've lived in the state for at least 180 days.

Where to Get These Forms

All AOC forms are available free at the Kentucky Court of Justice Legal Forms page (kycourts.gov). The Kentucky Legal Self-Help Portal also offers guided interviews that walk you through completing some forms — though these guided interviews don't currently support cases with minor children.

The forms are free. What they don't come with is an instruction manual showing which forms apply to your specific situation, what order to file them, and how to avoid the redaction and procedural mistakes that get paperwork rejected.

The Kentucky Divorce Filing Process Guide walks you through the complete filing sequence with deadline calculators, a redaction checklist, and county-specific notes — so every form lands on the clerk's desk correctly the first time.

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