File for Divorce Online in Kern County, California

The Kern 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 1.10 (rev. 7/1/2026) makes e-filing mandatory for represented parties in family law; self-represented litigants are not required to e-file but are encouraged to. Filers choose from Kern's own list of approved e-filing service providers. Family law filings not accepted electronically: appeals, abandonments, adoptions, termination of parental rights and surrogacy actions. Domestic violence and gun violence restraining orders can be submitted directly through the court's portal.

Kern court e-filing page and approved providers

MutualFile prepares your Kern 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 Kern follows standard California divorce procedure:

1. File the Petition (FL-100) and Summons (FL-110) with the Kern 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 Kern?

$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 Kern 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 Kern

Kern tells filers to submit the fee waiver request to the Family Law clerk; a judge decides it. Kern has a mandatory local form, KERN RRD 0320, on which the court's Revenue Recovery Division recommends granting, denying, or partially granting (25/50/75% reductions or installment payments) — so a request can come back as a partial waiver or a payment plan rather than a simple yes/no. Kern court fee-waiver information.

See our full California divorce cost breakdown for more details.

Kern County handles family law cases at the Metro Justice Building in downtown Bakersfield. The court lobby is open Monday–Friday 8 AM–4 PM, with the lobby closing at noon on Fridays. Check kern.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.