PHOENIX (February 25, 2025) – The Administrative Office of the Courts increased filing fees for 2025 in all cases, including those obtaining a divorce or legal separation, except for parties who agree on terms in advance and file jointly. However, parties who use the Summary Consent Decree process for a divorce or legal separation in Maricopa County will actually see their fees reduced by half – a savings of roughly $300.
“The court recognizes that—in some cases—parties who are separating have reached agreements about dividing property and debts, parenting time and legal decision-making, and support,” said Family Court Presiding Judge Ronda Fisk. “These parties want a non-adversarial, cost-effective, efficient way to finalize their divorce or legal separation, with limited court involvement. The Summary Consent Decree Process lets them do that.”
The Summary Consent Decree Process is intended for cases where the parties have reached agreement on all issues before they file for divorce or legal separation. Both parties sign and submit a combined petition and response, so there is no need to serve any documents. Within sixty days of their initial filing, the parties must submit their signed consent decree to the court for approval.
As long as the consent decree complies with the law, the judge will sign it within 81 days of the initial filing. If there are problems, the judge will send the parties an order that rejects the consent decree and explains how to fix the documents. At any time before the judge signs the consent decree, the parties can submit a notice of intent to jointly withdraw from the Summary Consent Decree agreement and the judge will dismiss the case.
According to a Family Department survey, most litigants who participated in a Summary Consent Decree process thought it was timely and fair.
“Summary Consent Decree helped to reduce some stress in an already very stressful situation. My late husband had a substance abuse issue, and I needed to file for divorce for my family’s safety and sanity. It was a horrible time and being able to do everything outside of court and agree to terms based on previous agreements helped immensely at the time,” said one petitioner.
“Ending a marriage can be a stressful process,” said Judge Fisk. “To the extent we can, the court wants to help parties who can reach agreements reduce their paperwork, expenses, and time spent in court. We are also working with the Clerk of Court to simplify this process even further by allowing parties to file their paperwork online without a trip to the courthouse.”
To learn more about the Family Department, please visit: https://superiorcourt.maricopa.gov/departments/superior-court/family/