The residency requirements refer to the time a person must live in Arkansas to give the state courts jurisdiction over the divorce case.

If the spouses file for divorce from the non-covenant marriage, at least one spouse must have lived in Arkansas for 60 days before starting the case and for three months before getting a divorce decree. It's usually not difficult to achieve since a typical divorce lasts for a few months.

The grounds for divorce differ for covenant and non-covenant marriages. Covenant (or regular) ones are dissolved on one no-fault reason and eight fault-based-ones:

• separation for 18 months

• impotence

• cruel treatment

• conviction of a felony

• insanity (with confinement to a mental health institution for three years)

• drunkenness (occurring for one year after the wedding)

• adultery

• lack of support

• humiliation

Non-covenant marriages have slightly different grounds: adultery, felony conviction, abuse, and separation for two years.

The filing begins when a plaintiff collects and gives completed divorce forms to the court clerk. The circuit court clerk stamps the date and case number on the papers.

The filing party must file the original and two copies of the Complaint and other required forms with the circuit court. The plaintiff should choose the court in the county where they live. If the filing spouse doesn't live in Arkansas, the papers should be filed in the county where the other party lives.

Each person filing divorce papers must pay several court fees. One is a $165 initial filing fee (the sum may vary in different counties). Others include the sheriff's services for delivering the papers to the other party, photocopying, etc.

A person who cannot afford the payment may request a fee waiver. To get it, they must file an Affidavit in Support of Request to Proceed in Forma Pauperis and a Petition for Leave to Proceed in Forma Pauperis.

The plaintiff must inform the other non-filing party (a defendant) about the divorce proceedings. Typically, a circuit court clerk will issue a Summons form. After that, the plaintiff must deliver a copy of the summons and the Complaint to the defendant. This process is called "service."

The service is performed in one of the following ways:

• the defendant agrees to waive the service and signs the Entry of Appearance Form

• service by mail

• by a sheriff or private process server

As a rule, no couple will obtain a divorce decree before 30 days have passed from filing the divorce papers. During this period, a defendant may file their Answer, or the spouses can negotiate their divorce terms. They can use mediation or do it themselves.

Also, the couples may change their minds about divorcing and call it off during these 30 days. Parents of minor childten also typically use this time to attend parenting classes.

A plaintiff must ask the court clerk to issue a Notice of Hearing. This way, the case will be scheduled for a specific date. The judge will review the paperwork during the hearing, including the settlement agreement. If everything is in order, they will issue a final judgment.

After the judge signs the decree, the plaintiff must make two copies and file them with the original order with the circuit clerk. They must also send a copy of the final order to the defendant.