Key facts: divorce in Indiana
| Waiting period | 60 days[1] details ↓ |
|---|---|
| Residency requirement | 6 months (state) + 3 months (county)[1] details ↓ |
| Court mediation for custody | Court may order[2] details ↓ |
| Court mediation fees | Set by the court if parties don't agree[3] details ↓ |
Statutes and court rules as checked October 26, 2026. Not legal advice.
What are the divorce laws in Indiana?
Not legal advice. These are plain-English summaries of Indiana’s statutes and court rules as of the date shown on each; they can change and courts apply them case by case. Read the linked source or ask a lawyer licensed in Indiana.
Waiting period
60 days
Indiana has a minimum 60-day waiting period after filing before the court can finalize a divorce.[1]
Parke County, Indiana (in.gov), “To file for divorce in Indiana” · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“There is a minimum 60-day waiting period after filing before the court can finalize the divorce.”
Residency requirement
6 months (state) + 3 months (county)
At least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for 6 months and in the filing county for 3 months.[1]
Parke County, Indiana (in.gov), “To file for divorce in Indiana” · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“At least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for at least 6 months and in the county where you file for at least 3 months.”
No-fault divorce
Not yet verified
Start with Self-Service Legal Center (Indiana Judicial Branch).
Property division
Not yet verified
Start with Self-Service Legal Center (Indiana Judicial Branch).
Court mediation for custody
Court may order
A court may, on its own motion or a party's, refer a domestic relations case to mediation; a party may object in writing within 7 days in a domestic relations case, and the court then decides whether mediation should go ahead.[2]
Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 2.2 · checked October 26, 2026
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“a court may on its own motion or upon motion of any party refer a civil or domestic relations case to mediation.”
“a party may object by filing a written objection within seven (7) days in a domestic relations case”
Court mediation fees
Set by the court if parties don't agree
Absent the parties' agreement, the court may set an hourly mediation rate and decide how the cost is divided, based on the case's complexity and the parties' ability to pay; some counties offer low-cost programs funded by a $20 domestic relations ADR filing fee.[3]
Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 2.6 · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“the court may set an hourly rate for mediation and determine the division of such costs by the parties.”
“permits a county to collect a $20.00 fee from a party filing for a legal separation, paternity or dissolution case.”
Filing fee
Not yet verified
Start with Self-Service Legal Center (Indiana Judicial Branch).
Divorce rate
No CDC rate for 2024
The CDC’s state table has no 2024 divorce rate for Indiana. In the Census Bureau’s 2024 survey, 7.6 of every 1,000 women 15 and older in Indiana divorced in the past year (±0.9; U.S. 6.9), a different measure.[5][6]
Divorce rates by state, with sources → · CDC/NCHS NVSS; Census ACS · checked October 27, 2026
Estimate your divorce cost in Indiana: mediation vs. court →
How child support is calculated in Indiana →
Official help: Self-Service Legal Center (Indiana Judicial Branch)
Mediators per 100,000: MediationList listings from official court and government rosters in Indiana (1,046) ÷ population (6,924,275, U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates (July 1, 2024)) × 100,000, the same figure as mediator statistics.[4]
Questions about divorce in Indiana
How long does a divorce take in Indiana?
The law sets the minimum, not the total: Indiana has a minimum 60-day waiting period after filing before the court can finalize a divorce. How long it takes after that depends on whether you agree and on the court's calendar. — Parke County, Indiana (in.gov), “To file for divorce in Indiana”[1]
How long do you have to live in Indiana to file for divorce?
At least one spouse must have lived in Indiana for 6 months and in the filing county for 3 months. — Parke County, Indiana (in.gov), “To file for divorce in Indiana”[1]
Is mediation required for custody in Indiana?
A court may, on its own motion or a party's, refer a domestic relations case to mediation; a party may object in writing within 7 days in a domestic relations case, and the court then decides whether mediation should go ahead. — Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 2.2[2]
How much does court mediation cost in Indiana?
Absent the parties' agreement, the court may set an hourly mediation rate and decide how the cost is divided, based on the case's complexity and the parties' ability to pay; some counties offer low-cost programs funded by a $20 domestic relations ADR filing fee. — Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 2.6[3]
More
Compare nearby states
Sources
Indiana’s statutes and court rules, read on the official site, plus federal statistics; each with the date we checked it.
- Parke County, Indiana (in.gov), "To file for divorce in Indiana"↩
- Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 2.2 (Indiana Supreme Court)↩
- Indiana Rules for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Rule 2.6 (Indiana Supreme Court)↩
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county and state population estimates (July 1, 2024)↩
- CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System: Divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2024↩
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2024.B12503↩