SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
FAMILY COURT
Domestic Relations Branch
COMPLAINT FOR ABSOLUTE DIVORCE
Action Involving Child Support yes no
I, _________________________________, am the Plaintiff in this case and state that
PRINT YOUR NAME
1. This Court is the proper place to decide my request for divorce and related issues
because:
[CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]
I have been a resident of the District of Columbia for more than six months
immediately before filing this Complaint.
My spouse has been a resident of the District of Columbia for more than six months
immediately before filing this Complaint.
PRINT YOUR NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE
SUBSTITUTE ADDRESS: CHECK BOX IF
YOU HAVE WRITTEN SOMEONE ELSE’S ADDRESS
BECAUSE YOU FEAR HARASSMENT OR HARM.
PLAINTIFF,
V.
PRINT YOUR SPOUSE’S NAME
STREET ADDRESS
CITY, STATE AND ZIP CODE
DEFENDANT.
_________ DRB ________________
JUDGE: ______________________
DC Bar Pro Bono Center (revised 02/2021)
Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 1 of 8
2. My spouse and I were married [CHECK ONE]
by ceremony on ______________________, in ______________________________.
DATE CITY AND STATE
by common law on or about ___________________, in _______________________.
DATE CITY AND STATE
3. My spouse and I separated on or about ________________________________________.
DATE
4. I state the following about the separation: [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]
The separation has been mutual and voluntary, and has continued without
interruption or cohabitation for a period of more than six months immediately before
filing this Complaint.
The separation has continued without interruption or cohabitation for a period of
more than one year immediately before filing this Complaint.
5. I state the following with regard to my married name: [CHECK ONE]
I did not change my name when I married my spouse.
I changed my name when I married my spouse. I do not wish to return to a former
name.
I changed my name when I married my spouse and I now wish to return to my birth
name or another legal name I used before my marriage. I have no illegal or fraudulent
reason for making this request. The former name I want restored is:
PRINT THE FORMER NAME YOU WOULD LIKE THE COURT TO RESTORE
Marital Property & Marital Debt
6. I state the following about property from my marriage:
[CHECK ONE]
My spouse and I have no marital property.
My spouse and I have an agreement resolving all of our marital property issues and I
am not asking the Court to divide or distribute any marital property.
My spouse and I have a written agreement resolving all of our marital property issues
and I am not asking the Court to divide or distribute any marital property.
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Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 2 of 8
My spouse and I have marital property that I am asking the Court to divide or
distribute, and I have completed and attached the additional information required on
Attachment A, which I incorporate into this Complaint.
I am not sure if my spouse and I have marital property.
7. I state the following about debt from my marriage: [CHECK ONE]
My spouse and I have no marital debt.
My spouse and I have an agreement resolving all of our marital debt issues and I am
not asking the Court to assign responsibility for any marital debt.
My spouse and I have a written agreement resolving all of our marital debt issues and
I am not asking the Court to assign responsibility for any marital debt.
My spouse and I have marital debt that I am asking the Court to assign responsibility
for, and I have completed and attached the additional information required on Attachment
A, which I incorporate into this Complaint.
I am not sure if my spouse and I have marital debt.
Alimony
8. I state the following about my need for alimony from my spouse: [CHECK ONE]
I need permanent and/or temporary alimony from my spouse and I believe my spouse
has the ability to pay alimony to me.
I do not want my spouse to pay alimony to me.
Custody
9. I state the following about our child(ren) who are under the age of 18:
[CHECK ONE]
My spouse and I do not have any children together (through birth or adoption) who
are under the age of 18.
My spouse and I do have children together (through birth or adoption) who are under
the age of 18, but I am not asking the court to decide custody at this time.
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Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 3 of 8
My spouse and I do have children together (through birth or adoption) who are under
the age of 18, and we have a written agreement about custody; I am not asking the court
to decide custody at this time.
My spouse and I do have children together (through birth or adoption) who are under
the age of 18, and I am asking the court to decide custody. I have completed and attached
the additional information required on Attachment B, which I incorporate into this
Complaint.
Child Support
10. I state the following about my request for child support: [CHECK ONE]
My spouse and I do not have any children together (through birth or adoption), or our
children together are over the age of 21 years and are not adult disabled children.
My spouse and I do have children together (through birth or adoption) who are under
the age of 21 or who are adult disabled children, but I am not asking the Court to award
child support at this time.
My spouse and I do have children together (through birth or adoption) who are under
the age of 21 or who are adult disabled children, and we have an agreement regarding
child support; that agreement is consistent with the Child Support Guideline of the
District of Columbia and/or it is fair and just.
My spouse and I do have children together (through birth or adoption) who are under
the age of 21 or who are adult disabled children. I am asking the Court to award child
support, and I have completed and attached the additional information required on
Attachment C, which I incorporate into this Complaint.
Attachments
11. I have included the following attachment(s): [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]
No attachments
Attachment A (Marital Property and/or Marital Debt)
Attachment B (Child Custody)
Attachment C (Child Support)
DC Bar Pro Bono Center (revised 02/2021)
Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 4 of 8
Request for Relief
I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST that the Court grant me an Absolute Divorce and
[CHECK
ALL THAT APPLY]
Divide marital property and/or assign marital debts in a manner that is equitable, just
and reasonable.
Award alimony in a manner that is fair and just, including: [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY ]
temporary alimony
permanent alimony
Award custody in the best interests of the child(ren).
Hold a hearing on my request for child support within 45 days of filing and issue a
Notice of Hearing and Order Directing Appearance (“NOHODA”) to the other parent
with the date and time of the hearing.
Award child support according to the Child Support Guideline of the District of
Columbia and other applicable laws, including: [CHECK ALL THAT APPLY]
current child support (support starting today and continuing into the future)
retroactive child support (support for time before today)
medical support
Note that we have an agreement. I request that the Court: [CHECK ONE]
include our agreement as a part of its order.
not include our agreement as a part of its order.
Restore me to my former name.
I ALSO REQUEST that the Court award any other relief it considers fair and proper.
I do / do not know of any proceedings in the District of Columbia or in any state or
territory involving the same claim or subject matter as this case. Please list state, court, and
docket number for cases involving the same claim or subject matter.
Court
Case Number Case Type
12.
DC Bar Pro Bono Center (revised 02/2021)
Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 5 of 8
I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
If this document is to be signed outside the geographic boundaries of the United States, Puerto
Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and any territory or insular possession subject to the
jurisdiction of the United States, additional requirements must be met prior to signing.
See Super. Ct. Dom. Rel. R. 2(c)(1)(B).
____________________________________
SIGN YOUR NAME
____________________________________
PRINT YOUR NAME
____________________________________
HOME ADDRESS 1
____________________________________
HOME ADDRESS 2
SUBSTITUTE ADDRESS: CHECK BOX IF YOU
HAVE WRITTEN SOMEONE ELSE’S ADDRESS
BECAUSE YOU FEAR HARASSMENT OR HARM.
____________________________________
DATE
____________________________________
PHONE NUMBER
____________________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS
DC Bar Pro Bono Center (revised 02/2021)
Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 6 of 8
. Add slashes to either side /like this/ to sign electonically.
Service of Your Complaint: Domestic Relations Rule 4
You start a case by filing papers called a complaint at the Family Court Central Intake Center. When you file
a complaint, the Family Court Central Intake Center will give you a summons. A summons is a paper that you
must give to the person you are filing against. The person you file against is called an opposing party or other
party. You must make sure that the opposing party gets a copy of the summons and your complaint and any
orders. This is called service of your complaint. You cannot give the papers to the opposing party yourself;
someone else must give them to the opposing party. The chart below gives instructions on how to serve the
complaint and summons.
After you make sure that someone else gives the papers to the other party, you must prove to the Court that you
did this. You can prove this to the Court by filing an Affidavit of Service form. You must serve the papers and
file an Affidavit of Service form within 60 days after you file your complaint. If you have questions about
serving these documents, go to the Family Court Self Help Center at DC Superior Court or visit
www.LawHelp.org/DC.
Remember to always keep a copy of the papers for yourself. And, you may need to make more copies to serve
the other party in a different way.
Below are the ways you can serve your complaint and summons and prove to the Court that you did it. All
of the forms discussed below can be found at the Family Court Self Help Center at DC Superior Court or at
www.LawHelp.org/DC.
Type of Service
Proof of Service
Have someone who is over 18 years old
and not a party to the case (NOT you):
• Hand a copy of the papers to the
other party; or
• Leave a copy of the papers at
the other party’s home with a
person of suitable age and
discretion who lives there
(someone who you think is old
enough or responsible enough to
give the papers to the other party).
• The person who served the papers must fill out an
Affidavit of Service by Individual.
• The completed Affidavit must be filed at the Family
Court Central Intake Center.
Mail a copy of the papers to the other
party by certified mail, return receipt
requested.
• Send a copy of the papers to the
other party’s home.
• You can do this yourself at the
post office. Someone else can do
this for you too.
• Keep the return receipt (“green card”) if it comes
back to you;
• Fill out an Affidavit of Service by Certified Mail;
and
• File the completed Affidavit with the return receipt
attached at the Family Court Central Intake
Center.
• Note: If you do not receive a return receipt or it
comes back saying your papers cannot be delivered,
you will need to serve the papers a different way.
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Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 7 of 8
Mail the papers to the other party
by first class mail (postage prepaid)
and include:
• An envelope addressed to you with a
stamp on it (so that the other party
can mail the Court’s Notice and
Acknowledgement form back to
you); and
• Two (2) copies of the
Court’s Notice and
Acknowledgment form
(one for the other party to
keep and one for you).
• The signed Notice and Acknowledgement
form is the proof of service.
• The other party has 21 days from the date the
letter is mailed to sign and return the Notice and
Acknowledgement form to you.
• If the other party returns the completed form, file
the completed Notice and Acknowledgement
form at the Family Court Central Intake
Center.
• Note: If the other party does not return the form,
you will need to serve the papers in a different
way. If this happens, you can ask the Court to
order the other party to pay you back any money
you spend serving the papers in another way.
If you are asking for child support or to establish parentage of a child, the Family Court Central Intake
Center will issue you a Notice of Hearing and Order Directing Appearance (also called a NOHODA). There are
special instructions for serving a NOHODA, these can be found at the Family Court Self Help Center and online
at www.ProBono.center/NOHODAInstructions
If you need more than 60 days to serve the papers, you can ask the judge to give you more time. You can ask
for more time by filing a Motion for Additional Time to Serve. You must ask for more time to serve and a new
summons before the first summons expires. If you do not do this, the Family Court Central Intake Center may
dismiss your complaint. You can get a Motion for Additional Time to Serve at the Family Court Self Help
Center at DC Superior Court or visit www.LawHelp.org/DC.
If you tried but were not able to serve the other party or parties using any of the methods above, you can
ask the judge to let you serve the parties in a different way by filing a Motion for Alternative Service. You can
get a Motion for Alternative Service at the Family Court Self Help Center at DC Superior Court or visit
www.LawHelp.org/DC
.
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Complaint for Absolute Divorce - Page 8 of 8
Pursuant to Superior Court of the District of Columbia Administrative Order 15-14, a party filing a case in the Superior Court shall submit this form with any initial pleading except for a charging document. Any
date of birth, social security number, or driver’s license number provided on the Information Sheet shall be kept confidential, shall not be made part of any public record, and shall be used only for the Superior
Court’s internal business purposes. The Confidential Form shall not be retained in the case file and shall be shredded or otherwise destroyed within a reasonable time after the case is entered into the case
management system. If any identifying information becomes available after the case has been initiated, the party must submit an updated Confidential Form.
Rev. January 11, 2021
SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
500 INDIANA AVENUE, NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20001
(202) 879-1010 |
https://www.dccourts.gov
CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION FORM
(This form will be returned to the filer or destroyed immediately
after the information is entered into the Court’s case management system)
Case Caption: _____________________________________________________________ Case No.: _______________________________________
Plaintiff/Petitioner
Defendant/Respondent
Full Name
(First, Middle, Last)
Date of Birth
(Month, Day, Year)
Telephone Number(s)
Home: ____________________________________
Cell/Mobile: _______________________________
Work: ____________________________________
Home: ____________________________________
Cell/Mobile: _______________________________
Work: ____________________________________
Email Address
Ethnicity
☐
Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish
☐
Non-Hispanic
☐
Hispanic, Latino/a, or Spanish
☐
Non-Hispanic
Race
Select one or more
☐
American Indian or Alaska Native
☐ Asian
☐ Black or African American
☐ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
☐ White
☐ Other
☐
American Indian or Alaska Native
☐ Asian
☐ Black or African American
☐ Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
☐ White
☐ Other
Pursuant to Superior Court of the District of Columbia Administrative Order 15-14, a party filing a case in the Superior Court shall submit this form with any initial pleading except for a charging document. Any
date of birth, social security number, or driver’s license number provided on the Information Sheet shall be kept confidential, shall not be made part of any public record, and shall be used only for the Superior
Court’s internal business purposes. The Confidential Form shall not be retained in the case file and shall be shredded or otherwise destroyed within a reasonable time after the case is entered into the case
management system. If any identifying information becomes available after the case has been initiated, the party must submit an updated Confidential Form.
Rev. January 11, 2021
Plaintiff/Petitioner
Defendant/Respondent
Police Department
Identification Number (PDID)
Social Security Number
or Taxpayer Identification
Number
Date of Death (if applicable)
Are you a participant of the
Address Confidentiality
Program managed by the Office
of Victim Services
and Justice Grants?
☐YES
☐ NO
Please attach a copy of your Authorization Card to this form. If submitting the confidential form
electronically, please attach your Authorization Card via email.
Interpreter Needed?
Interpreter needed for:
☐ Spanish
☐ Amharic
☐ ASL
☐ Other: ___________________________
☐ No interpreter needed.
Interpreter needed for:
☐ Spanish
☐ Amharic
☐ ASL
☐ Other: ___________________________
☐ No interpreter needed.
ADA or Other Accommodation
Needed?
☐ Assisted Listening Device
☐ Braille
☐ Communication Access Real-time Translation
☐ Court Comfort Dog
☐ Literacy Assistance
☐ Service Animal
☐ Visually Impaired-Large Print
☐ Wheelchair
☐ Other: _______________________________
☐ Assisted Listening Device
☐ Braille
☐ Communication Access Real-time Translation
☐ Court Comfort Dog
☐ Literacy Assistance
☐ Service Animal
☐ Visually Impaired-Large Print
☐ Wheelchair
☐ Other: _______________________________
Pursuant to Superior Court of the District of Columbia Administrative Order 15-14, a party filing a case in the Superior Court shall submit this form with any initial pleading except for a charging document. Any
date of birth, social security number, or driver’s license number provided on the Information Sheet shall be kept confidential, shall not be made part of any public record, and shall be used only for the Superior
Court’s internal business purposes. The Confidential Form shall not be retained in the case file and shall be shredded or otherwise destroyed within a reasonable time after the case is entered into the case
management system. If any identifying information becomes available after the case has been initiated, the party must submit an updated Confidential Form.
Rev. January 11, 2021
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES only
Please indicate if any of the information below is CONFIDENTIAL from the defendant/respondent.
Plaintiff/Petitioner
Defendant/Respondent
Address
If your address is confidential
from respondent, please give a
substitute/safe address where the
court can reach you
Demographics
Race:______________
Sex:_________________
Height:_____________
Weight:______________
Eye Color:__________
Hair Color: ___________
Race:______________
Sex:_________________
Height:_____________
Weight:______________
Eye Color:__________
Hair Color: ___________
Driver’s License Number
(Optional)
Place of Employment and
Address (If applicable)
Additional Questions
Did the police arrest the responent in this case?
☐
Yes
☐
No
When is the best time to serve the other party (when are they there)?______________________ (am/pm)
List any other address to serve Respondent (other than one previously listed) ___________________________
What is the best time to reach you (when are you able to pick up a call)?___________________(am/pm)
Pursuant to Superior Court of the District of Columbia Administrative Order 15-14, a party filing a case in the Superior Court shall submit this form with any initial pleading except for a charging document. Any
date of birth, social security number, or driver’s license number provided on the Information Sheet shall be kept confidential, shall not be made part of any public record, and shall be used only for the Superior
Court’s internal business purposes. The Confidential Form shall not be retained in the case file and shall be shredded or otherwise destroyed within a reasonable time after the case is entered into the case
management system. If any identifying information becomes available after the case has been initiated, the party must submit an updated Confidential Form.
Rev. January 11, 2021
FAMILY COURT CASES only
Plaintiff/Petitioner
Defendant/Respondent
Driver’s License Number
Child’s Name
Name(s) of Child(ren):
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Name(s) of Child(ren):
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
_________________________________________
Other’s Name and
Relationship
Name: ___________________________________
Relationship:
______________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Relationship:
______________________________
Type of case you are filing
List other cases you have in
this Court
Case Type: __________________________________
Case Number: ________________________________
Case Type: __________________________________
Case Number: ________________________________
List cases you have in
another Court
Case Type: __________________________________
Case Number: ________________________________
Case Type: __________________________________
Case Number: ________________________________
Do you have an attorney?
☐
Yes
☐
No
If “Yes,” what is the attorney’s
name?______________________________
☐
Yes
☐
No
If “Yes,” what is the attorney’s
name?______________________________
Pursuant to Superior Court of the District of Columbia Administrative Order 15-14, a party filing a case in the Superior Court shall submit this form with any initial pleading except for a charging document. Any
date of birth, social security number, or driver’s license number provided on the Information Sheet shall be kept confidential, shall not be made part of any public record, and shall be used only for the Superior
Court’s internal business purposes. The Confidential Form shall not be retained in the case file and shall be shredded or otherwise destroyed within a reasonable time after the case is entered into the case
management system. If any identifying information becomes available after the case has been initiated, the party must submit an updated Confidential Form.
Rev. January 11, 2021
Are you afraid of the party
that you are filing against?
☐
Yes
☐
No
☐
Yes
☐
No
Do you fear for your safety?
☐
Yes
☐
No
☐
Yes
☐
No
If you have children, do you
fear for their safety?
☐
Yes
☐
No
☐
Yes
☐
No
Have you or your children
been hurt, harmed or
threatened to be hurt or
harmed by the other party?
☐
Yes
☐
No
☐
Yes
☐
No
