File for Divorce Online in Tulare County, California

The Tulare 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.

Tulare says e-filing 'is currently not mandated for any case type', and self-represented parties may e-file but don't have to. Use an approved EFSP from the court's list. Limits are 35 MB per envelope and 25 MB per document; PDFs must be text-searchable. Family law e-filings must include the $30 court reporter fee for any hearing the party initiates. A petition and fee waiver can be e-filed together as separate PDFs.

Tulare court e-filing page and approved providers

MutualFile prepares your Tulare 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 Tulare follows standard California divorce procedure:

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

$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 Tulare 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 Tulare

Tulare has a step-by-step fee waiver page. File the FW-001 (with item 1 of the FW-003 filled in) plus one copy, either with your petition or response or later in the case. If you mail it, include a stamped self-addressed envelope. When e-filing, submit the FW-001 and FW-003 as separate PDFs alongside the petition; the court processes them together. Tulare court fee-waiver information.

See our full California divorce cost breakdown for more details.

Tulare County handles family law cases at the Visalia Courthouse. Court review times vary; check tulare.courts.ca.gov for current 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.