Default Divorce Paperwork in California

It is a divorce that moves forward because the other spouse did not file a response. If no response is filed within 30 days of service, the petitioner can ask the court to enter default. The court can then make orders without hearing from that spouse.

Form FL-165, Request to Enter Default, which the court revised effective July 1, 2025. A default request and the final judgment can be submitted together, or the default first and the judgment later. A default does not mean the divorce is final right away.

The court says a respondent can still file a response after 30 days, as long as no default has been entered yet. Because that can change your case, check with the court clerk on the status of the case before you rely on the 30-day date.

It is a way for spouses who agree on everything to finish without the respondent filing a response. Both must share financial disclosures and sign a written agreement. If the spouse never filed a response, the court says their signature on the agreement must be notarized.

Yes, the court says a petitioner in a default case still serves disclosures, even if the other spouse never provides any. Disclosures are exchanged between spouses and are not filed with the court. Only a form confirming they were served is filed.