20 Years of Online Divorce with DivorceWriter (2005–2025)

DivorceWriter is celebrating 20 years of bringing do-it-yourself uncontested divorce to people across the United States. In honor of this milestone, we’re looking back at how divorce has changed between 2005 and 2025. From new divorce grounds and shorter waiting periods to video hearings and online notarization, the past two decades have brought significant shifts in how couples navigate divorce.

2010 – New York Adopts No-Fault Divorce

Until 2010, New York was the only state in the country without a no-fault divorce option. Couples had to allege fault, usually cruelty or adultery, to end their marriages. That year, New York finally joined the rest of the U.S. by adding a no-fault ground based on an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage lasting at least six months. Today, no-fault divorce is by far the most commonly used option in New York.

2015 – Same-Sex Marriage and Divorce Become Nationwide

In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide in Obergefell v. Hodges. With marriage came the right to divorce. States had to quickly adapt forms and procedures, including updating gendered language. What was once uncharted territory is now part of everyday divorce practice in every state.

2015–2018 – Maryland Adds and Expands Mutual Consent Grounds

Maryland was one of several states to shorten waiting periods for divorce. In 2015, it added “mutual consent” as a ground for couples without children, eliminating the one-year separation requirement if the couple had a written agreement. In 2018, the law was expanded to include couples with minor children, provided all custody and support issues were resolved. In 2023, Maryland streamlined its grounds even further, showing the national trend toward making divorce faster and more accessible.

2017–2020 – States Begin Passing Pet Custody Laws

For more than a century, pets in divorce were treated strictly as property. That began to change in 2017 when Alaska became the first state to require judges to consider an animal’s well-being in divorce cases. Illinois (2018), California (2019), and New York (2020) soon followed. In these states, judges can now award sole or joint custody of pets, considering the best interests of the animal—something unthinkable two decades ago.

2020 – Courts Shift to Video Divorce Hearings

When COVID-19 shut down courthouses in 2020, judges quickly moved hearings online. At first, this was a temporary solution, but it soon became clear that video hearings saved time and reduced burdens on families. Today, many states routinely finalize uncontested divorces over Zoom or by affidavit instead of requiring in-person testimony. What started as an emergency measure has become a lasting change.

Late 2010s–2025 – Online Notarization Becomes Widespread

For decades, notarizing divorce documents meant finding a local notary and signing in person. That began to shift in the late 2010s, and the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the change. By 2025, 45 states plus D.C. have permanent laws allowing Remote Online Notarization (RON), making it possible to notarize documents by live video from home. At the same time, the trend is moving away from requiring notarization at all. Six states—Colorado, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Utah—don’t require notarized signatures on divorce documents.

2021 – Virginia Drops Corroborating Witness Requirement

As of July 1, 2021, Virginia no longer requires a corroborating witness for no-fault divorces. Before this change, the Plaintiff had to bring in an adult friend or family member to testify that the couple had lived apart long enough to qualify for divorce. Now, the Plaintiff’s own testimony—usually by affidavit—is sufficient, making divorce faster and less burdensome.

2022 – Arizona Tests a Simplified Divorce Process

In January 2022, the Arizona Supreme Court approved a pilot program for a simplified uncontested divorce option through Administrative Order 2022-159. Known as the Informal Family Law Trial (IFLT) / Summary Consent Decree Process, this option allows couples who agree on all issues to file jointly and finalize their divorce without the formality of a full trial. The pilot remains under review, but it reflects the national move toward simpler uncontested divorce procedures.

2023 – Maryland Further Streamlines Divorce Grounds

In 2023, Maryland overhauled its divorce law again, consolidating grounds and making it easier to file without extended separation. The state has become a leader in shortening timelines and reducing complexity for uncontested divorces.

2005–2025 – Cryptocurrency Emerges as a Divorce Asset

Cryptocurrency didn’t exist when DivorceWriter launched in 2005. By 2025, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other digital assets are routine considerations in divorce cases. Courts now expect full disclosure of crypto holdings, just as with bank accounts or retirement funds. The challenge is valuation: because prices fluctuate daily, states typically require assigning a dollar value as of a specific date, such as the date of separation or settlement. In 20 years, crypto has gone from nonexistent to a standard line on divorce paperwork.

A Trend Toward Simplicity

From longer separation periods and paper filings in 2005 to online notarization and video hearings in 2025, divorce in the United States has changed dramatically in just two decades. DivorceWriter has been there throughout, helping people navigate uncontested divorce as the law, technology, and society have evolved. While every state still does things a little differently, the overall trend is clear: divorce is becoming faster, simpler, and more accessible than ever before.