PLEASE NOTE: This information is not intended to be the issuance of legal advice. The Clerk's office does not have available a form of the Petition for Dissolution. Any law library should be able to provide books that would enable a person to research the law to know what language the Petition for Dissolution should contain. Should legal assistance be required, please seek the advice of an attorney. For more information, visit the state's Judiciary Web site.
A Petition for Dissolution of Marriage must be typewritten on 8 1/2 x 11 inch white paper.
An original and three (3) copies are required to be filed in the Marion County Family Resource Center located in the City-County Building, Room W125 (first floor, west wing). The original petition must be verified.
A Domestic Relations Appearance Form must be completed and filed at the same time the petition is filed.
A Domestic Relations Summons must be furnished with the filing of the petition. An original and three (3) copies are to be filed with the Clerk's office at the Civil Filing desk. The summons form is available in the Marion County Clerk's office or you may print a copy from the 'civil' section under the 'forms' table of this Web site.
If the party seeking summons service (Petitioner) designates the manner of service to be by certified mail, they will be required to submit the following:
1) an envelope with the name and address of the party to be served (The Respondent) listed as the addressee and the Clerk's Office listed as the return address,2) a completed certified mail green card, and 3) a certified mail receipt.
If the designated manner of summons service is by publication, forms for such service are available in the Clerk's Office and on our Web page. There are four (4) forms, one of which must be notarized. The fee for publication is paid separately from the petition. It is the responsibility of the petitioner to pay the costs directly to the newspaper designated by petitioner to publish the summons.
The petition and summons must be accompanied by a filing fee of one hundred fifty-seven dollars ($157.00) payable in cash or money order to the Marion County Clerk.
If a Sheriff Service Fee is required, a money order for $13.00 must be made payable to the County Sheriff (Marion, Johnson, etc.).
Any other papers accompanying the petition, such as additional motions, etc., must be filed directly with the court after the petition has been filed with the Marion County Family Resource Center located in the City-County Building, Room W125 (first floor, west wing).
Once the petition has been filed, the court will require the parties to wait a minimum of sixty (60) days before considering the petition for a final hearing. It is the petitioner's responsibility to schedule the hearing with the court and to submit a proposed Property Settlement Agreement (if any) and proposed Decree for Dissolution of Marriage for the judge to consider. A notarized original and three (3) copies of such forms must be submitted.