SUMMARY OF OREGON DIVORCE LAWS

The following is a brief summary of the divorce laws and procedures in Oregon. If you have questions, we strongly recommend that you seek the advice of an attorney. The information contained herein is for information purposes only.

GROUNDS:

The only reason you need is that you and your spouse cannot get along, and you see no way of settling your problems. The law calls this "irreconcilable differences."

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT:

In almost all cases, either you or your spouse must have lived in Oregon for six months before filing for divorce. In addition, the divorce must be filed in a county in which one of you lives.

COMMENCING YOUR CASE:

If you or your spouse has lived in Oregon for six months or longer, you need to do three things to start your divorce: (1) You must pay or be excused from paying the fees that are charged for filing a divorce petition. There might also be costs for having your spouse served; (2) - You must file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the Circuit Court clerk's office at the courthouse. The petition states what you are asking for in the divorce; (3) You must have the petition and any other required documents served on (officially delivered to) your spouse. This lets your spouse know that a divorce action has been started and what you are asking for.

COST:

Court costs and filing fees range from $250-350. The court clerk's office can tell you the costs and fees in your county. If you cannot afford to pay the costs and fees, you can ask the judge to waive or defer your payments to a later date.

WAITING PERIOD:

The law usually requires a waiting period of 90 days before a divorce becomes final. This may not apply if you and your spouse are jointly filing the petition for dissolution.