How is the divorce finalized?
A judge finalizes a divorce by signing a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage and filing that document with the clerk of the court. Spouses are not actually divorced until that decree is signed by the judge and filed with the clerk’s office. A court may not, correspondingly, sign a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage until all issues in the case—such as child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, and division of debts and assets—are either settled or ruled upon by the court and included in the final decree.
