File for Divorce Together.
One joint petition. No service of process. File as equals.
California’s new Joint Petition lets both spouses file as equals on a single form — no one gets “served,” no separate filings, no conflict built into the process.
so you always know what's next.
Two ways to file. One platform built for both.
California gives couples two ways to start a divorce. The right one depends on where you and your spouse are in your agreement — not on how complicated your situation is.
File Together — The Cooperative Path
Using California's new Joint Petition law (SB 1427, effective January 2026)
The best way to end a marriage is with as little conflict as possible. California's new Joint Petition process lets both of you file as equals, together, from day one.
- You and your spouse have agreed on the big things
- Both of you are willing to file together from day one
- Neither of you wants to "serve" the other with legal papers
- You want to reduce cost, stress, and time
File Separately — The Standard Path
Using the standard Petition & Response (FL-100 / FL-120)
Sometimes one spouse is ready before the other, or an agreement hasn't been reached yet. The traditional path starts the process without requiring both of you to agree upfront.
- You and your spouse haven't reached a full agreement yet
- You need to formally serve your spouse to start the legal clock
- Your spouse is unresponsive or uncooperative
- You want to file now and negotiate later
Not sure which path fits? Take our quick quiz ↓ — or start on the traditional path and switch if your situation changes.
A simpler path forward
MutualFile breaks divorce into calm, manageable steps — so you can move forward with confidence.
Is MutualFile right for you?
Answer a few quick questions to find out if MutualFile is a good fit for your situation.
Why couples choose MutualFile
See how MutualFile compares to the traditional path.
| Traditional lawyers | MutualFile | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $5,000–$12,000+ | From $199 + county court filing fees |
| Collaboration | Filtered through attorneys — at $400/hr | Work through agreements together, in-app |
| Clarity | Unpredictable timeline | Always know what's next |
| Experience | Stressful, adversarial | Calm and structured |
| Control | Lawyer-managed | You stay in control |
| Risk reversal | None — hourly billing continues | Court-ready guarantee + we’ll make it right |
This is hard. We built MutualFile to make at least the paperwork part easier.
Built for calm collaboration
Most divorce tools treat this like solo paperwork. MutualFile is different: it gives both spouses a space to work through agreements, communicate directly, and reduce conflict — you don't need to have everything figured out before you start.
- Always know exactly what to do next — no guesswork
- No awkward texting your ex about paperwork
- Every document organized and ready when you need it
- Your private info stays private until you’re ready to share
- Only the steps California courts actually require
- Court-ready guarantee — if the court rejects your paperwork due to an error in the forms we generated, we fix and regenerate them free
- Here to help — not happy with your documents? Contact us and we’ll do our best to make it right. Court filing fees and third-party costs are non-refundable.
Pay as you go, step by step
No big upfront cost. You pay only for the stage you’re on.
- Complete the guided interview
- Invite spouse digitally
- Personalized checklist
- Case setup & document hub
- AI catches missing fields and formatting errors
+ court filing fees
- Court-ready petition or response
- Step-by-step filing instructions for your county
- AI reviews your answers for consistency and completeness
+ court filing fees
- Financial disclosures (FL-140, FL-150, FL-160)
- Settlement agreement
- Final judgment forms
- AI double-checks your final forms against court requirements
Estimated total: ~$398 (MutualFile fees only) · Compare to $5,000–$12,000+ with attorneys.
- * You file at the courthouse yourself, so you pay nothing beyond the court's own filing fee.
- * Court filing fees vary by county (e.g. ~$435 in California).
Court filing fees are separate and vary by county. MutualFile does not provide legal advice.
What our users are saying
Real experiences from people who filed with MutualFile.
“Honestly, we were both losing sleep over the paperwork, but MutualFile kept things surprisingly chill. It was a huge relief having our own logins—we could just fill out our own stuff separately without breathing down each other's necks.”
“We kept putting it off because we figured it'd be this whole drawn-out thing, but we literally knocked it out over two nights. Being able to both log in and see the same dashboard meant we didn't have to keep texting each other 'did you do your part yet?'”
“I was terrified of messing up the paperwork, but the site basically filled out all the stuff for us based on our answers. We didn't get a single rejection from the court—everything went through perfectly the first time.”
“Spent less than $200 on MutualFile and skipped the lawyers entirely. The checklist kept us from getting overwhelmed, and by the time we walked into the courthouse every form was already filled out and ready to hand over.”
Court-Ready Guarantee
Every document MutualFile generates is built from official California Judicial Council forms and validated against current court requirements, so what you take to the courthouse is court-ready. If any court rejects your paperwork due to a MutualFile error, we'll correct it and regenerate your documents at no extra cost.
If you're not happy with your documents, contact us and we'll do our best to make it right. Court filing fees and third-party costs are paid directly to courts and process servers and are non-refundable.
FAQ
Quick answers to the questions people ask most.
Take the first step — it’s free
Begin your paperwork in minutes, and invite your spouse when you’re ready.
No credit card required.