Where Do You Actually File?

All divorce paperwork in Jennings County gets filed at the Jennings Superior Court, located at:

24 North Pike Street, Vernon, Indiana 47282

You'll submit your completed Petition and supporting documents to the Clerk's Office. There's a filing fee involved (it varies, so call ahead or check their website for current amounts). If money is tight, you can request a fee waiver, the Clerk's Office can tell you how to apply for one.

Pro tip: Bring copies of everything. The court keeps the originals, and you'll want your own set for your records.

Serving Your Spouse

Once you've filed, you can't just text your spouse and say, "Hey, I filed for divorce." Indiana law requires formal service of process, basically, official notification that legal proceedings have begun.

There are a few ways to do this:

• Certified mail sent to your spouse's last known address

• Private process server

• Jennings County Sheriff's Department

After your spouse has been served, you'll need to file proof of service with the court. This shows the judge that your spouse knows about the case and has a chance to respond.

If your spouse is cooperative, this part is usually pretty smooth. If they're avoiding you or you don't know where they live, things can get trickier, and that's where having a local attorney really helps.

The 60-Day Waiting Period

Here's something a lot of people don't realize: Indiana has a mandatory 60-day waiting period. That means even if you and your spouse agree on everything, the court cannot finalize your divorce until at least 60 days after you file.

This waiting period gives both parties time to:

• Respond to the petition (your spouse typically has 20-30 days)

• Work out temporary arrangements for kids, bills, and living situations

• Negotiate a settlement agreement

Think of it as a cooling-off period. The courts want to make sure nobody is rushing into a life-changing decision.

What Needs to Be Decided?

Every divorce requires you to sort out a few key issues. Even if things are amicable, you'll need to come to an agreement (or let a judge decide) on:

If you have minor children:

• Legal custody (who makes major decisions about education, healthcare, religion)

• Physical custody (where the kids live day-to-day)

• Parenting time (visitation schedule for the non-custodial parent)

• Child support (calculated using Indiana's child support guidelines)

For all divorces:

• Division of property (house, cars, bank accounts, retirement funds, debts)

• Spousal maintenance (sometimes called alimony, not automatic in Indiana, but possible)

If you and your spouse can agree on all of this, you can submit a settlement agreement to the court and avoid a trial altogether. If you can't agree? The case moves into discovery, possibly mediation, and potentially a court hearing where a judge makes the final call.