File for Divorce Online in Fresno County, California

The Fresno County Superior Court accepts electronic filing (e-filing) for family law cases through approved Electronic Filing Service Providers (EFSPs). If you are representing yourself, e-filing is optional — you can still file on paper.

Local Rule 4.1.2 states that under Code of Civil Procedure §1010.6(g), documents filed by represented parties in all civil, family law, and probate actions must be filed electronically unless the court excuses them. Self-represented parties are encouraged but not required to participate. Fresno does not funnel everyone through one vendor — it publishes a long list of approved electronic filing service providers, so pick one from the court's own list.

Fresno court e-filing page and approved providers

MutualFile prepares your Fresno divorce forms so they are court-ready, then walks you through exactly how to submit them — whether you e-file through an EFSP, file in person, or file by mail. You file with the court yourself; we make sure the paperwork is complete before you do.

The process in Fresno follows standard California divorce procedure:

1. File the Petition (FL-100) and Summons (FL-110) with the Fresno County Superior Court
2. Serve your spouse with the filed documents
3. Exchange financial disclosures (FL-140, FL-142, FL-150)
4. Spouse has 30 days to respond after being served
5. Reach a settlement agreement or proceed through court proceedings
6. Submit the Judgment (FL-180) for the court to review and sign
7. The 6-month waiting period must pass before the divorce is final

For a full walkthrough, see our step-by-step California divorce guide.

Joint petition: $435 or $870 in Fresno?

$870 — and that is the total for your case, not per spouse. A joint petition (FL-700) for dissolution or legal separation filed with the Fresno County Superior Court carries one combined $870 fee that covers both spouses' appearances, in place of the separate Petition and Response fees in a traditional filing. If one spouse later revokes the joint petition, the schedule says no additional first-appearance fee is due from either of you. The $435 figure applies only to a joint petition for summary dissolution, a separate short-marriage procedure with strict eligibility limits. Fee waivers are available for those who qualify.

Source: Judicial Council Statewide Civil Fee Schedule (effective Jan 1, 2026).

Fee waivers in Fresno

The Office of the Family Law Facilitator lists preparing fee waiver applications among its free services. Fresno publishes its own fee waiver instruction packet (March 2026 revision) on its Form Instruction Packets page. Fee waiver packets for domestic violence cases are free at the Family Law Clerk's Office, the Facilitator's Office and the Centro de Recursos Legales. Fresno court fee-waiver information.

See our full California divorce cost breakdown for more details.

Fresno County handles a high volume of family law cases as the largest county in the Central Valley. The B.F. Sisk clerk's office hours are Monday–Thursday 8 AM–3 PM and Friday 8 AM–12 PM, which is shorter than the building's own 8 AM–5 PM hours and shorter than other Fresno courthouses. Check fresno.courts.ca.gov for current processing estimates.

California has a mandatory 6-month waiting period. In a traditional divorce it runs from the date your spouse is served; in a joint petition (SB 1427) it runs from the date you file, because there is no service step. Either way this is the legal minimum — no divorce can be finalized before this period passes, regardless of how quickly you complete your paperwork.