Getting the Final Divorce Decree

There are a few more forms that you have to turn in to finalize your divorce. This page explains the process and the different forms so you can turn in your final set of papers to get the divorce granted.

Read each section carefully - every case is different and there are different forms you will need depending on what happened in your case. Your divorce is not final until the judge signs and files a Decree of Divorce!

This page is for cases that started with one person filing for divorce against the other. This page is not for people who filed jointly for divorce from the start. To learn how to get a divorce approved if you filed a Joint Petition for Divorce, please see Filing for Divorce Together.

How a Divorce is granted

You are responsible for preparing the final Decree to finish your case. There are three different ways that a final divorce decree can be granted:

Follow these steps to get the final Decree approved:

1. Fill out the forms. There are several forms you have to fill out to get the judge to finalize your case.

2. File the forms. File the completed forms by mail or efiling.

3. Submit the Divorce Decree to the Judge. Turn in a proposed Divorce Decree to the judge to sign.

4. File the Notice of Entry of Order and serve the other party. You have to serve the other party with a copy of the final order.

Learn more about each step below.

1. Fill out the forms

All of the possible forms to get a final Divorce Decree are below. You may need to fill out some or all of the forms; read about each form carefully and fill out the ones that apply to you.

    Default - required if Defendant did not file an answer within 21 days of being served. The Plaintiff must complete the default form and submit it to the Clerk’s Office for approval. If you do not get a default against the Defendant, he or she can still file papers past the 21 day deadline. After the 21 days is up, it us usually a matter of who gets their paperwork turned in first.

Enter the date the Defendant was served on this form (check the Affidavit of Service for the date if you do not remember). If Defendant was served by publication, the date of service is usually the last date listed under the publication dates on the Affidavit of Publication. Default (pdf) Default (pdf fillable)

FYI!

If Defendant made an appearance in the case (in some way that would indicate Defendant planned to participate in the case, such as signing a Waiver), you must send the Defendant a final notice after you get your default approved by the clerk. The notice tells Defendant you will get a final default order if Defendant does not file anything in 7 days. Complete the form, file it, and mail a copy to the Defendant.
Notice of Intent to Take Default Judgment (pdf) Notice of Intent to Take Default Judgment (pdf fillable) After mailing, wait 3 business days for the mail to reach the Defendant, and another 7 days for the Defendant to file something to stop the final decree from being approved. If Defendant still does not file anything after those deadlines, you can turn in the final papers to get a final decree.

TIP!

If the judge approved of a Parenting Agreement that you and your spouse mediated at FMC, attach the Parenting Agreement as an “Exhibit” to the Decree instead of the blank visitation schedule included with this form. This will make sure your full custody and visitation schedule is included in your final divorce decree.

2. File the Forms

File all the documents above, except the Decree of Divorce, with the court. Just like with your initial documents, you can file the papers in one of three ways:

3. Submit the Decree of Divorce to the Judge

Do not do this step until the documents above have been successfully filed with the court. If you are efiling, wait to do this step until you receive confirmation that your efiled documents were successfully filed.

You must turn in a decree to your assigned department to review. If you do not know what department your case was assigned to, you can look it up here: https://www.clarkcountycourts.us/Portal/.

If you did not already fill out a proposed Decree of Divorce with the rest of your forms, do so now:

Email your proposed decree in a pdf format to your assigned judge. Check the Department Letter assigned to your case and email it to the correct email below:

If you cannot email it, you can bring it to the court in person or you can mail it to 601 N. Pecos, Las Vegas, NV 89101 (mail takes 4-6 weeks to process).

The judge will review the decree and sign it if approved. You will receive it back by mail or through email if you registered for eservice in your efiling account.

If there is a problem with the paperwork, you will receive a memo from the judge’s staff letting you know what needs to be fixed. You will have to fix the problem and resubmit the Decree.

FYI!

The date you are legally divorced is the date the Decree is "filed" at the Clerk's Office, which could be different than the date the judge signs the Decree! This is the date that appears on the upper right corner on the first page of the Decree of Divorce.

4. File a Notice of Entry of Order and serve the other party

You have to serve the other party with a copy of the final Decree by filling out a Notice of Entry of Order, filing it, and serving it. The Notice of Entry of Order triggers the timelines for anyone to appeal. If this is not filed, the other party may be able to appeal the order months or years later!

After you get the signed and filed final Decree, fill out the Notice of Entry of Order and attach a copy of the Decree. You will have to serve the other party with a copy the same day you file it, so be sure to fill out the Certificate of Mailing at the bottom.

File the Notice of Entry of Order (with a copy of the Decree attached).

Make a copy of the Notice of Entry of Order (with the Decree attached) and mail it to the other party. You can mail it by regular mail.