Within 40 days after the Response is filed, both spouses generally must complete an Affidavit of Financial Information. The AFI is a sworn statement listing your income, monthly expenses, assets, and debts. It is the most detailed form in the entire Arizona divorce process and the one most people get stuck on.

You exchange the AFI with your spouse and file a copy with the court. The judge uses both AFIs to evaluate any requests for child support, spousal maintenance, or division of debt.

If your case involves no children and no request for spousal support, the AFI is sometimes waived. But assume you need one until you are told otherwise. For help with the line-by-line questions and the supporting documents you have to attach, see our Arizona Affidavit of Financial Information guide.

Step 6: You Negotiate and Draft a Consent Decree

While the 60 days run, you and your spouse work out the terms of the divorce: how property and debt get divided, what the parenting plan looks like, who pays support, who keeps the house. In an uncontested case, this happens privately. You can use a mediator if you need help, but you do not have to.

Once you agree, the terms get written into a Consent Decree of Dissolution of Marriage. Both spouses sign it, along with any required attachments (parenting plan, child support worksheet, property settlement). This is the document the judge will eventually sign to finalize the divorce.

Step 7: You File the Final Paperwork and Wait for the Judge

After day 61, you file the signed Consent Decree along with any required final documents. The clerk routes the file to the judge assigned to your division. The judge reviews everything to make sure:

• The 60-day waiting period has passed
• Both spouses have signed
• Any agreement about children meets Arizona's "best interest" standard
• Property division is not patently unfair
• All required disclosures (including the AFI) are filed

If everything is in order, the judge signs the decree. You are officially divorced on the date the judge signs.

If something is missing or unclear, the judge may set a brief hearing or issue an order asking you to fix the problem before signing.

Do I Have to Go to Court?

In a true uncontested divorce where both spouses agree on every issue, most cases are finalized without a hearing. The judge reviews the paperwork in chambers and signs. You may never see a courtroom.

You will likely have a hearing if:

• Your spouse contests any part of the Petition
• The judge has questions about your parenting plan or property division
• You requested a default and the judge wants to confirm the facts in person
• A child support deviation is requested

If a hearing is set, you will receive a Notice of Hearing in the mail or by e-service. Show up on time, bring a copy of every document you filed, and dress respectfully.

After the Decree Is Signed

Getting the signed decree is not always the very last step. Depending on what was in your decree, you may also need to:

• Change your name (if requested in the Petition; the decree itself authorizes the change)
• Transfer the title on a vehicle or refinance the house to remove a spouse's name
• Update beneficiaries on retirement accounts, life insurance, and your will
• Submit a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to divide a 401(k) or pension
• Set up income withholding for child support, if ordered
• File a Decree of Disposition with the Clerk to confirm the case is closed

Keep at least three certified copies of your final decree. You will need them for name changes at the Social Security Administration, the MVD, banks, and your employer.

How Long Does All of This Take?

The fastest possible Arizona divorce is right around 60 to 75 days from the date of service. That assumes:

• Your spouse signs an Acceptance of Service immediately
• You both complete and file your AFI promptly
• You agree on everything and sign a Consent Decree before day 60
• The judge signs the decree shortly after day 60

Most uncontested cases finish in 90 to 120 days. Contested cases routinely take 6 to 12 months or longer. For a deeper look at what speeds cases up and what slows them down, see our Arizona divorce timeline guide.

Where People Get Stuck

A few predictable problems delay cases at this stage:

Service falls apart. Spouse refuses to sign the Acceptance, the process server cannot find them, or the wrong documents get served. The 60-day clock cannot start until service is fixed.

The AFI is incomplete. Missing pay stubs, missing tax returns, math errors. Judges send these back, and your case waits until you correct them.

The Consent Decree contradicts the Petition. If the property division in the decree does not match what you asked for in the Petition, the judge can reject it. Everything has to be internally consistent.

Filings have the wrong case number or wrong caption. Small clerical mistakes get the entire filing kicked back. Always copy the caption and case number exactly from your stamped Petition.

If you want to avoid these traps, our guide to the biggest mistakes Arizona filers make walks through the most common ones.

How Clarity Divorce Helps After You File

Filing the Petition is the easy part for most people. What trips them up is everything that comes next: serving the right documents, completing the AFI without mistakes, drafting a Consent Decree the judge will actually sign, and keeping every form internally consistent.

Clarity Divorce prepares the full document set for $199, including the Petition, Summons, Preliminary Injunction, AFI, Consent Decree, and parenting plan if children are involved. We walk you through service, response deadlines, and the final paperwork the judge needs to sign your decree. Court filing fees of roughly $300 to $400 are paid separately to the Clerk of the Superior Court.

If you have not filed yet, you can start your divorce documents here. If you want to test the questionnaire first, try the free demo.

Educational guidance only — not legal advice. Clarity Divorce is a document preparation service, not a law firm. If your case involves contested issues, domestic violence, or significant assets, consult a licensed Arizona family law attorney.