Dissolution of Marriage in Oklahoma Dissolution of marriage, or divorce, is the formal legal process of dissolving a marital relationship. Certain residency requirements apply, and a party may plead or assert certain reasons for divorce, although the most common is incompatibility. Not only is the court required to dissolve the marriage, it is also required to divide property and debt. Those parties with children must address issues of child custody, visitation, and child support. In addition, some marriages may qualify for support alimony. This information is intended to give the reader an introduction to dissolution of marriage in the State of Oklahoma.

Residency Requirements and Grounds for Divorce

Either you or your spouse must be a resident of Oklahoma for at least six months immediately prior to filing for a divorce. The divorce may be filed in the county where the filing spouse has been a resident for 30 days or in the county where the nonfiling spouse resides. The legal divorce process begins when one spouse files a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the district court in the appropriate county.

You may be granted a divorce by the district court on any of the following grounds:

Dividing the Property

In Oklahoma, assets and debts acquired during your marriage – called “marital property” – will be divided “equitably” when you divorce. Each spouse is entitled to keep any property that was owned by him or her prior to the marriage and any gifts or inheritances acquired during the marriage. All marital property is divided between the spouses in a just and reasonable manner, regardless of any marital fault.

It is important to collect all the information you can about all your property, including when you purchased it, approximately how much it is worth, and details such as account numbers, serial numbers and so forth. Collecting this information before you see a lawyer can save you a lot of time and money.