Arkansas Divorce Information
and FAQ
A spouse must have resided in the State of Arkansas for a period of
sixty (60) days prior to the filing of divorce and three (3) full months
before the final judgment granting the divorce. 9-12-307
Grounds for divorce Arkansas law allows for divorces based upon the
following grounds:
1. Where either party, at the time of contract for marriage, was and
still is impotent; 2. Conviction of a felony or other infamous crime; 3.
Habitual drunkenness for a period of one year; 4. Cruel and barbarous
treatmen as to endanger the life of the other; 5. Indignities to the
person of the other as to render his or her life intolerable; 6. Where
either party committed adultry subsequent to the marriage; 7. Incurable
insanity of one of the parties; 8. Where either spouse, legally
obligated to support the other, fails to do so; 9. Where husband and
wife have lived separate and apart from each other for eighteen
continous months without cohabitation, regardless of fault or reason.
9-12-301
What court hears divorces Divorce actions are filed and heard in
Chancery Court. The title of the action initiating the divorce is called
the Complaint for Divorce, while the title of the action granting the
divorce is the Decree of Divorce. The party filing the action is the
Plaintiff, while the other party to the action is the Defendant.
9-12-301 Where to file: Venue A complaint for divorce shall filed and
heard in the county where the complaintant resides unless the
complaintant is a nonresident of Arkansas and the defendant is a
resident of Arkansas, in which case the proceedings shall be filed in
the county where the defendant resides. The court entering the final
decree of divorce shall retain jurisdiction for all matters following
the entry of the decree. 9-12-303 and 9-12-320
Waiting period A waiting period of thirty (30) days after the filing
for divorce is usually required before a divorce may be granted, subject
to a few exceptions. 9-12-310
Financial Statement Prior to the establishment of an award of
support, the State of Arkansas requires that both parties complete an
official Affadavit of Financial Means. Property Division Arkansas
recognizes basic equitable distribution of property principles which
require that all marital property be distributed one-half (1/2) to each
party unless the court makes specific findings that such distribution
would be inequitable and states its reasons for doing so in the order.
All other property shall be returned to the party who owned it prior to
the marriage, unless the court makes some other division that it deems
equitable. 9-12-315 Child Custody The court may award custody to either
parent, regardless of sex, subject to the best interests of the child.
9-13-101
Non-Custodial Parent's Right to Information The non-custodial parent
who has been awarded visitation rights is entitled to be provided
current scholastic records of the child upon request. 9-13-301
Child Support Arkansas has established both Weekly and Monthly Family
Support Guidelines which are used to assist the court in determining the
proper amount of support to be paid. In all cases where the support and
care of children are involved, the court may order either parent to
secure and maintain health insurance for the benefit of the child when
such coverage is available or becomes available to the parent at a
reasonable cost Healthcare premiums cannot be used to offset a child
support award, but may be considered in determing the amount of
take-home pay of the payor.
The duty to pay child support terminates automatically when the child
reaches eighteen (18) years of age or should have graduated high
school,whichever is later, or when the child is emancipated, marries or
dies, unless the court specifically states otherwise. 9-12-312,
9-14-232, and 9-14-237
Alimony The court may award alimony to either spouse that is
reasonable under the circumstatnces. The court may also allow to either
party during the pendancy of the divorce proceeding a reasonable
maintenance support award and attorney's fees. Unless otherwise ordered
by the court or agreed to by the parties, the liability of a party to
pay alimony shall automatically terminate upon: the remarriage of the
party who was awarded alimony; the establishment of a relationship that
produces a child and results in a court order directing another person
to pay the recipient of alimony support; the establishment of a
relationship that produces a child and results in a court order
directing the recipient to pay support to another who is not a decendant
by birth or adoption to the payor of alimony. 9-12-309, 9-12-312, and
9-12-314
Parenting Classes When minor children reside with either or both
parents, the court may, prior to entering a decree of divorce, require
the parties to complete parenting classes or submit to mediation
regarding parenting issues. 9-12-322
Name change When the court finds that either party is entitled to a
divorce, the court may restore the wife to the name she bore previous to
the marriage dissolved. 9-12-318 Other The legitimacy of children born
prior to the entering of the divorce decree is not affected by the
decree.
Serving Counties Below
Abbott Aberdeen Acorn Adona Albion Alco
Alexander Algoa Alicia Alix Alleene Allport Alma Almyra Alpena Alpine
Alread Altheimer Altus Amagon Amity Antoine Aplin Appleton Arkadelphia
Arkansas City Arkansas Post National Memor Armorel Arsenal Arthur Ash
Flat Ashdown Ashton Athens Atkins Aubrey Augusta Austin Auvergne Avery
Avoca Back Gate Balch Bald Knob Baldwin Banks Barling Barney Barton Bass
Bassett Batesville Baucum Bauxite Baxter Bay Bayou Meto Bayou Metro Bear
Bearden Beaudry Beaver Bee Branch Beebe Beech Creek Beech Grove
Beedeville Beirne Bella Vista Bellaire Belleville Ben Lomond Bengall
Benton Bentonville Berea Bergman Berlin Berryville Beryl Bethel Heights
Beverage Town Bexar Big Flat Big Fork Bigelow Biggers Billstown Bird
Town Birdeye Biscoe Bismarck Black Fork Black Oak Black Rock Blackfish
Blackton Blackville Blackwell Blakemore Blevins Blue Hill Blue Mountain
Blue Springs Bluff City Bluffton Blytheville Board Camp Boles Bonanza
Bonnerdale Bono Booker Booneville Boswell Botkinburg Boueff Bovine Bowen
Boydell Bradford Bradley Bradley Quarters Branch Bredlow Corner Brewer
Brickeys Briggsville Brinkley Brockwell Brookland Brown Springs Brumley
Brummitt Bruno Brush Creek Bryant Buckner Buckville Buie Bull Shoals
Burdette Busch Butlerville Butterfield Cabot Caddo Gap Caddo Valley
Calamine Caldwell Cale Calico Rock Calion Calmer Camden Cammack Village
Camp Canaan Cane Creek Canehill Caney Valley Caraway Carlisle Carmel
Carrollton Carthage Casa Cash Casscoe Catholic Point Cato Cave City Cave
Springs Cecil Cedarville Center Grove Center Point Center Ridge
Centerton Centerville Central City Chanticleer Charleston Charlotte
Cherokee Village Cherry Hill Cherry Valley Chester Chicot Chidester
Childress Chimes Choctaw Clarendon Clarkedale Clarkridge Clarksville
Clay Cleveland Clinton Coal Hill Cobbs Cole Spur Coleman College Station
Collins Colt Columbus Combs Cominto Compton Concord Conway Cord Corinth
Cornerville Corning Cotter Cotton Plant Cove Coy Cozahome Crabtree
Crawfordsville Crigler Crocketts Bluff Crossett Crumrod Crystal Hill
Culpeper Curtis Cushman Cypress Valley Dabney Dalark Dallas Dalton
Damascus Danville Dardanelle Datto Davenport De Luce De Queen De Valls
Bluff De Witt Deberrie Decatur Deer Degray Delaplaine Delaware Delight
Dell Dennard Dermott Des Arc Desha Devalls Bluff Dewey Dewitt Dialion
Diamond City Diaz Dierks Divide Doddridge Dogpatch Dolph Donaldson
Dongola Doniphan Dover Drasco Driver Duce Dumas Durham Durian Dyer Dyess
Earle East Camden East Cotter East End Eden Isle Edgemont Edmondson
Eglantine Egypt El Dorado El Paso Elaine Elizabeth Elk Ranch Elkins
Ellison Elm Elm Springs Emerson Emmet Empire Enders Endoka England Enola
Enright Erbie Estes Ethel Etowah Euclid Heights Eudora Eureka Eureka
Springs Evansville Evelyn Hills Evening Shade Everton Fair Oaks
Fairbanks Fairfield Bay Fairview Fancy Hill Farelly Lake Farmington
Farmville Fayetteville Fendley Fenter Ferda Fifty Six Fisher Fitzgerald
Flag Flippin Floral Florence Floyd Fordyce Foreman Formosa Forrest City
Fort Chaffee Fort Hill Fort Smith Forty Four Fouke Fountain Hill
Fountain Lake Fountain Prairie Four Mile Corner Fourmile Hill Fox
Franklin Frenchmans Bayou Friendship Fulton Furlow Gaines Landing
Galloway Gamaliel Garfield Garland City Garland Springs Garner Garrett
Bridge Gassville Gaston Gateway Genevia Genoa Gentry Georgetown Gepp
Geridge Gibbs Gibson Gifford Gilbert Gillett Gillham Gilmore Gleason
Glen Rose Glencoe Glendale Glenwood Gobblers Point Gold Creek Gold Lake
Estates Goodwin Goshen Gosnell Gould Gourd Grady Grand Lake Grandview
Grannis Grapevine Gravel Hill Gravel Ridge Gravelly Gravelridge
Gravesville Gravette Grays Green Forest Green Hill Greenbrier Greenland
Greenway Greenwood Greers Ferry Gregory Griffith Spring Griffithtown
Griffithville Grubbs Guion Gulledge Gum Springs Gurdon Guy Habberton
Hackett Hagarville Halley Halley Junction Hamburg Hamilton Hamiter
Hammonsville Hampton Hanover Happy Hardin Hardy Harmon Harrell Harriet
Harris Harrisburg Harrison Hartford Hartman Harvey Haskell Hasty
Hatfield Hattieville Hatton Havana Hayley Haynes Haywood Hazen Hearn
Heber Springs Hebron Hector Helena Henderson Hensley Herbine Hermitage
Heth Hickory Flat Hickory Hill Hickory Plains Hickory Ridge Hicks Higden
Higginson Higgson Highland Hill Creek Hillemann Hindsville Hiram Hiwasse
Holiday Island Holland Holly Grove Holly Springs Hollywood Homewood Hope
Hopper Horatio Horseshoe Bend Horseshoe Lake Hot Springs Hot Springs
National Park Hot Springs Village Houston Hoxie Huddleston Hughes
Humnoke Humphrey Hunt Hunter Huntington Huntsville Hurricane Grove
Huttig Ida Imboden Indian Indianhead Lake Estates Ingleside Ink Ivan
Jackson Heights Jacksonport Jacksonville Jasper Jefferson Jefferson
Square Jeffery Jennie Jericho Jersey Jerusalem Jessieville Joan Johnson
Johnstown Johnsville Joiner Jones Mill Jonesboro Joplin Jordan Joy
Judsonia Junction City Kearney Kedron Keiser Kelso Kenseh Kensen Kensett
Keo Kerr Kimberley Kingsland Kingston Kirby Knobel Knoxville Koch Ridge
Kurdo La Crosse La Grange Lacey Ladelle Lafe Lake City Lake Hamilton
Lake Village Lakeside Lakeview Lamar Lambert Lambrook Lanark Landis
Laneburg Langley Lanty Lavaca Lawrenceville Lawson Leachville Lead Hill
Leola Lepanto Leslie Letona Lewisburg Lewisville Lexa Lexington Lick
Mountain Light Limestone Lincoln Linder Linwood Little Dixie Little Red
Little Rock Little Rock Air Force Base Lockesburg Locust Grove Lodge
Corner Lodi Lollie London Lono Lonoke Lonsdale Lookout Store Lost Corner
Louann Low Gap Lowell LRAFB Luna Luxora Lynn Mabelvale Maberry Macedonia
Macon Macon Lake Madison Magazine Magness Magnet Cove Magnolia Mallet
Town Malvern Mammoth Spring Manfred Manila Manning Mansfield Marble
Falls Marcella Marche Marianna Marion Marked Tree Marmaduke Marshall
Martinville Marvell Masonville Maumelle Mayfield Mayflower Maynard
Maysville Mazarn Mc Crory Mc Gehee Mc Rae McAlmont McArthur McCaskill
McCrory McDougal McGehee McGintytown McJester McKinney McMilan Corner
McNeil McRae Melbourne Mellwood Mena Menifee Menos Meridian Meroney
Metalton Middleton Midland Midway Milo Mineral Springs Minturn Mist
Mitchellville Moko Monette Monkey Run Monroe Monticello Montongo
Montrose Morning Sun Moro Morobay Morrilton Morrow Morton Moscow
Mossville Mount Hersey Mount Holly Mount Ida Mount Judea Mount Moriah
Mount Olive Mount Pisgah Mount Pleasant Mount Sherman Mount Tabor Mount
Vernon Mountain Fork Mountain Home Mountain Pine Mountain Valley
Mountain View Mountainburg Mozart Mulberry Murfreesboro Murphys Corner
Nady Nail Nashville Natural Dam Natural Steps Naylor Nebo New Blaine New
Edinburg Newark Newhope Newport Nimrod Norfork Norman Norphlet North
Little Rock Northpoint Nunley Oak Grove Oakgrove Oakland Oaklawn Oark
Oden Ogden Oil Trough Okay O'Kean Okolona Ola Old Hickory Old Joe Old
Milo Omaha One Horse Store Oneida Onia Opal Oppelo Orion Orlando Osage
Osceola Otto Owensville Oxford Oxley Ozan Ozark Ozark Lithia Ozone
Palestine Palmer Palmyra Pangburn Pansy Panther Forest Paragould Paris
Parkdale Parkin Parks Parma Paron Parthenon Pastoria Patsville Patterson
Pea Ridge Peach Orchard Pearcy Pearson Peel Pelsor Pencil Bluff
Pendleton Perla Perry Perrytown Perryville Pettigrew Pettus Pickens
Piercetown Piggott Pike Pindall Pine Bluff Pine City Pine Ridge
Pineville Piney Piney Grove Pinnacle Pisgah Plainview Plant Pleasant
Grove Pleasant Hill Pleasant Hills Pleasant Plains Pleasant Valley Plum
Bayou Plumerville Pocahontas Point Cedar Pollard Ponca Pontoon Poplar
Grove Portia Portland Possum Fork Potter Potter Junction Pottsville
Poughkeepsie Powhatan Poyen Prague Prairie Grove Prattsville Prescott
Preston Preston Ferry Price Prim Proctor Providence Pruitt Pumpkin Bend
Pyatt Quitman Randall Ratcliff Ravenden Ravenden Springs Raymond Rea
Valley Readland Rector Red Fork Red Leaf Red Oak Redfield Reedville
Relfs Bluff Remmel Republican Reverie TN Rex Reydell Reyno Richwood
Rison Riverside Rivervale Riverview Rixey Robertsville Rock Island
Junction Rock Springs Rockport Rocky Roe Rogers Rohwer Roland Rolla
Romance Rosboro Rose Bud Rosie Rosston Round Mountain Round Pond Rover
Rowell Royal Royal Oak Rudd Rudy Rule Rumley Rupert Rushing Russell
Russellville Ryan Rye Saffell Sage Saginaw Saint Charles Saint Francis
Saint Joe Saint Paul Salado Salem Salesville Saline Saltillo Sand Hill
Sandtown Saratoga Scotland Scott Scranton Screeton Searcy Seaton Seaton
Dump Sedgwick Selma Shannon Shannon Hills Sheridan Sherrill Sherwood
Sherwood Hills Shirley Shives Sidney Sidon Siloam Springs Silver Sims
Skunkhollow Slovac Smackover Smearney Smithville Snow Lake Snyder Social
Hill Solgohachia South Crossett South Sheridan Sparkman Springdale
Springfield Springhill Springtown Stamps Star City State University
Staves Stephens Steprock Stony Point Story Strawberry Strong Sturkie
Stuttgart Subiaco Success Sulphur Rock Sulphur Springs Summers Summit
Sumpter Sunny Hill Sweet Home Swifton Sylvan Hills Sylvania Tafton
Tafton-Wrightville Tarry Taylor Tennessee Texarkana The Highlands Thebes
Thida Thornburg Thornton Tichnor Tillar Tilly Timbo Tobin Toledo
Tollville Toltec Tomato Tomberlin Toneyville Tontitown Traskwood Trippe
Trumann Tucker Tuckerman Tukertown Tull Tumbling Shoals Tupelo Turner
Turrell Twin Groves Tyro Tyronza UA Monticello Ulm Umpire Uniontown
University of Ark at Fayette University of Arkansas Urbana Urbanette
Valley Springs Van Buren Vandervoort Vanity Corner Vanndale Vendor Vick
Vilonia Viola Violet Hill Wabash Wabbaseka Walcott Waldenburg Waldo
Waldron Walker Walnut Grove Walnut Ridge Wampoo Ward Warm Springs Warren
Washington Watkins Watson Wattensaw Waveland Wayton Weiner Weldon Wesley
Wesley Chapel West Crossett West Fork West Gum Springs West Helena West
Marche West Memphis West Point West Ridge Western Grove Wheatley Wheeler
Whelen Springs White White Hall Whitetown Whiteville Wickes Wideman
Widener Wiederkehr Village Wilburn Williams Junction Williford
Willisville Willow Wilmar Wilmot Wilson Wilton Winchester Winslow
Winthrop Wiseman Witherspoon Witter Witts Springs Wiville Wolf Bayou
Woodrow Woodson Wooster Wright Wrightsville Wynne Y City Yancopin
Yardelle Yellville Yocana Yorktown Yukon Zinc Zion
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