What is a divorce petition in North Carolina?

A divorce petition is the written legal pleading one spouse files with the court to open a divorce case and ask a judge to end the marriage. In North Carolina this pleading is called a Complaint for Absolute Divorce. The spouse who files it is the Plaintiff, and the other spouse is the Defendant.

What is the difference between a divorce petition and a dissolution of marriage in North Carolina?

They describe the same goal, but North Carolina uses its own terminology. The state does not call the case a 'dissolution of marriage.' Its courts grant an 'absolute divorce,' and you begin the case by filing a Complaint for Absolute Divorce, not a petition for dissolution. 'Dissolution of marriage' is simply the label many other states use for the same outcome.

How long must I live in North Carolina before filing for divorce?

One spouse must have resided in North Carolina for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the filing of the action (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6). This residency gate applies before you can file the Complaint for Absolute Divorce.

What are the grounds for divorce in North Carolina?

An absolute divorce in North Carolina is effectively pure no-fault: the parties must have 'lived separate and apart for one year' (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6). Incurable insanity after 3 years' separation is a separate no-fault ground under § 50-5.1. Fault claims like adultery, abandonment, or cruel treatment belong only to a 'divorce from bed and board' under § 50-7, and the state does not recognize 'irreconcilable differences.'

Do we have to be separated before filing in North Carolina?

Yes. For an absolute divorce, the spouses must have lived continuously separate and apart for one full year, with intent that the separation be permanent, before the Complaint for Absolute Divorce can be filed.

How long does a divorce take in North Carolina?

The one-year continuous separation under § 50-6 is the statutory minimum, and the complaint cannot be filed until that full year has elapsed. After the Defendant is served, at least 30 more days must pass before a judgment may be entered.

How much does it cost to file a divorce petition in North Carolina?

The filing fee for an absolute divorce in North Carolina is $225. Low-income filers can ask the court for a fee waiver.

How is property divided in a North Carolina divorce?

North Carolina follows equitable distribution (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-20; classification and division framework in §§ 50-20 and 50-21). Marital and divisible property is divided fairly under state law rather than split automatically in half, and a claim for equitable distribution can be lost if you do not assert it before the absolute divorce is granted.

North Carolina Divorce Petition

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Introduction

A North Carolina divorce petition, known as the Complaint for Absolute Divorce, is the formal legal pleading one spouse files to ask a District Court judge to legally end the marriage. The person who files it is the Plaintiff, not a petitioner. Filing in North Carolina turns on two hard statutory gates: at least one spouse must have resided in the state for six (6) months immediately preceding the action (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6), and the couple must have lived continuously separate and apart for one full year before the Complaint for Absolute Divorce can be filed. That one-year separation under § 50-6 is the statutory minimum, so there is no shortcut, and after the Defendant is served, thirty (30) days must pass before a judgment may be entered. North Carolina is effectively pure no-fault for an absolute divorce: the sole everyday ground is having 'lived separate and apart for one year,' and the state does not recognize the phrase 'irreconcilable differences.' The action is called an 'absolute divorce' (not a 'dissolution of marriage'), it is heard in the District Court Division of the General Court of Justice, and the filing fee is $225.

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Key Things to Know

1
What It Is: The Complaint for Absolute Divorce is what North Carolina calls its divorce petition, the written pleading one spouse files to open a divorce case and ask the court to legally end the marriage; the filer is the Plaintiff, never a petitioner.
2
Residency: At least one spouse must have resided in North Carolina for six (6) months immediately preceding the filing of the action, as required by N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6.
3
Separation and Waiting Period: The one-year continuous separation under § 50-6 is the statutory minimum, so the complaint cannot be filed until that full year has elapsed; after filing and service, the Defendant has 30 days to answer before a judgment may be entered.
4
Grounds: An absolute divorce is effectively no-fault only. The parties must have 'lived separate and apart for one year' (§ 50-6), with incurable insanity after 3 years' separation as a separate no-fault ground (§ 50-5.1). Fault grounds like adultery, abandonment, or cruel treatment exist only for a 'divorce from bed and board' under § 50-7, and North Carolina does NOT use 'irreconcilable differences.'
5
Property: North Carolina uses equitable distribution under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-20, with marital and divisible property classified and divided under the framework in §§ 50-20 and 50-21, not community property.
6
Forms and Court: You file a Complaint for Absolute Divorce (there is no mandatory statewide AOC form for the complaint) together with a Civil Summons (AOC-CV-100), and a Servicemembers Civil Relief Act affidavit is typically required. The complaint is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county, but divorce actions are heard in the District Court Division, and the parties are the Plaintiff and Defendant (not petitioner or respondent).
7
Fee: The filing fee for an absolute divorce in North Carolina is $225.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Divorce Petition in North Carolina, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Divorce Petition guide walks through them.

Open the Divorce Petition guide

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Absolute Divorce in North Carolina: The One-Year Rule

North Carolina grants an "absolute divorce", never a "dissolution of marriage", only after spouses have lived continuously separate and apart for one full year, with at least one spouse intending that the separation be permanent (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6). Because that one-year separation is the statutory minimum, your Complaint for Absolute Divorce cannot be filed until the twelve months have fully elapsed; there is no expedited path, and a premature filing invites dismissal.

Residency, Fee, and Which Court Hears the Case

Before filing, one spouse must have resided in North Carolina for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the action (§ 50-6). The Complaint is filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in the appropriate county, yet the case itself is heard in the District Court Division of the General Court of Justice, not Superior Court. The filing fee is $225.

Grounds Are Effectively No-Fault Only

For an absolute divorce, North Carolina is effectively pure no-fault. The everyday ground is having "lived separate and apart for one year" under § 50-6; incurable insanity after three years' separation is a distinct no-fault ground under § 50-5.1. The state does not recognize the phrase "irreconcilable differences." Fault allegations, adultery, abandonment, cruel treatment, belong only to a "divorce from bed and board," a judicial separation under § 50-7, and cannot themselves dissolve the marriage.

Parties, Forms, and Service

You are the Plaintiff; your spouse is the Defendant (never petitioner or respondent). There is no mandatory statewide AOC form for the complaint itself, so you draft a Complaint for Absolute Divorce and file it together with a Civil Summons (AOC-CV-100). A Servicemembers Civil Relief Act affidavit is also typically required. Once served, the Defendant has thirty (30) days to answer before a judgment may be entered. For a starting template, see our (/legal-document/divorce-petition).

Equitable Distribution of Property

North Carolina follows equitable distribution, not community property. Under N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-20, marital and divisible property is classified and then divided equitably, an outcome presumed to be equal but not required to be, with the full framework set out across §§ 50-20 and 50-21. Because a claim for equitable distribution can be waived if it is not asserted before the absolute divorce is granted, resolve property division alongside the complaint rather than afterward.

Putting the Sequence Together

Taken together, these rules make North Carolina's absolute divorce a sequence rather than a single event: satisfy the six-month residency, complete the full year of separation under § 50-6, file the verified Complaint with the $225 fee and the AOC-CV-100 summons in the county Clerk of Superior Court's office, and allow the Defendant's thirty-day answer window to run before the District Court enters judgment. Master those § 50-6 milestones and the North Carolina process becomes predictable from filing to final decree.

North Carolina Requirements for Divorce Petition

Residency (State)
Spouses must meet the residency requirement: One spouse must have resided in North Carolina for at least six (6) months immediately preceding the filing of the action (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6)..
Residency (County)
Must file in the correct county District Court Division of.
Grounds for Divorce
Must properly plead grounds: Effectively pure no-fault for absolute divorce: the parties must have 'lived separate and apart for one year' (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-6); incurable insanity after 3 years' separation is a....
Waiting Period
Mandatory waiting period: The one-year continuous separation under § 50-6 is the statutory minimum; the complaint cannot be filed until that year has....
Required Forms
Must file correct state forms: Complaint for Absolute Divorce (no mandatory statewide AOC form for the complaint) filed together with....
Property Division
Property is divided according to: Equitable distribution (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 50-20; classification and division framework in §§ 50-20 and... laws.
Filing Fee
Filing fee is typically $225 unless waived.
Service of Process
The Respondent must be properly served with the summons and petition.

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Divorce Petition Template with DocDraft

Absolute Divorce in North Carolina: The One-Year Rule

Residency, Fee, and Which Court Hears the Case

Grounds Are Effectively No-Fault Only

Parties, Forms, and Service

Equitable Distribution of Property

Putting the Sequence Together

North Carolina Requirements for Divorce Petition

Residency (State)

Residency (County)

Grounds for Divorce

Waiting Period

Required Forms

Property Division

Filing Fee

Service of Process

Frequently Asked Questions