FL-700 vs. FL-800: Joint Petition or Summary Dissolution?
Both let you and your spouse file for divorce together, without anyone serving the other. That's where the similarity ends. Summary Dissolution (Form FL-800) has existed for decades but only works for a narrow slice of couples. The Joint Petition (Form FL-700), created by SB 1427 and available since January 1, 2026, opens that same cooperative filing to nearly everyone.
The quick answer: if you've been married 5 years or less, have no children, own no real property, and your combined assets and debts are each under $50,000, you likely qualify for the cheaper, simpler summary dissolution. Everyone else who's filing amicably — including couples with kids, a house, or a long marriage — uses the joint petition instead.
The core difference: who's allowed to use it
Summary dissolution was built for short, simple marriages with almost nothing to divide, and it comes with a strict eligibility gate — miss any one requirement and you're disqualified. The joint petition has no such gate: any married couple who agrees to file together can use the FL-700, regardless of how long they've been married, whether they have children, or what they own.
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Start freeSide by side
| FL-800 (Summary Dissolution) | FL-700 (Joint Petition) | |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | Strict — must meet every requirement below | None — open to any amicable couple |
| Marriage length | 5 years or less | No limit |
| Children | Disqualifies you (and spouse can't be pregnant) | Allowed, with a written custody agreement |
| Real property | Disqualifies you (no house, land, or rental) | Allowed, no limit |
| Asset / debt caps | Each under $50,000 (community assets, community debts, separate property) | None |
| Spousal support | Must be permanently waived | Can be addressed in your agreement |
| Service of process | None — filed together | None — filed together |
| Forms to open the case | FL-800, after reading the FL-810 booklet | FL-700 + FL-710 (+ FL-105 if you have children) |
| Financial disclosures | Required (FL-142 & FL-150) | Required (FL-142 & FL-150) |
| 6-month clock | Starts the day you file | Starts the day you file |
| If you change your mind | File FL-830 to revoke | File FL-720 — case converts to a traditional FL-100 filing |
| Finalizing | Enters automatically at 6 months — no judgment package to submit | Requires submitting the FL-180/FL-190 judgment package |
| Available since | Existed before SB 1427 | January 1, 2026 |
When summary dissolution is the better choice
Choose the FL-800 only if you meet every eligibility requirement:
- You've been married 5 years or less.
- You have no minor children together.
- Neither spouse owns real property.
- Your combined community assets, community debts, and either spouse's separate property are each under $50,000.
- Neither of you wants to request spousal support.
If all of that is true, summary dissolution is simpler on the back end: there's no judgment package to prepare, and no hearing — it finalizes automatically once the six months run. See the full summary dissolution eligibility guide for every requirement.
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Start freeWhen the joint petition is the better choice
If you fail even one of those requirements — you have kids, own a home, have been married a long time, or your assets exceed $50,000 — summary dissolution isn't available to you at all. Before 2026, that meant filing a traditional, adversarial FL-100 case even if you and your spouse fully agreed on everything.
The FL-700 joint petition closes that gap. You keep the cooperative, no-service filing that summary dissolution offers, but without the caps — and without permanently giving up the right to address spousal support.
What if we don't qualify for either?
If you and your spouse can't agree, or one of you won't sign, neither joint option works — you'll need a traditional filing. See FL-700 vs. FL-100 for how the traditional Petitioner/Respondent process compares.
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Start freeCost
Court filing fees are essentially the same either way — both are first-appearance fees set locally and paid by both spouses (see the full FL-700 cost breakdown). The real cost difference isn't the court fee; it's whether you qualify for the simpler process at all.
Bottom line
Summary dissolution (FL-800) is the narrower, older option — worth it only if you meet every requirement. For everyone else filing amicably, the joint petition (FL-700) is the newer, more flexible path. MutualFile's guided interview currently focuses on the joint petition and traditional filings, which together cover the broadest range of situations, including cases with children, real property, and spousal support.
MutualFile is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.