Serve your Response
After you fill out your Response, you must have someone else mail a copy to your spouse or domestic partner. This is called service.
Service is an important legal step that tells your spouse you filed a Response and gives them a chance to review it.
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What service means
Service means someone else mails copies of your court papers to your spouse or their lawyer.
You can’t mail the papers yourself. The person who mails them (your server) must sign a form saying when and where the papers were mailed. You’ll then file that form with the court.
How to serve your Response
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Have your server mail the papers
Your server must mail these papers to your spouse (or their lawyer if they have one):
- Copy of your Response (form FL-120)
- Any other papers you filed (except any fee waivers)
📬 Use regular first-class mail — not certified or registered mail. Certified mail requires a signature which is sometimes hard to get and can delay your case.
Tell your server to write down the date they mailed the papers. They’ll need that date when filling out the Proof of Service form.
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Have your server fill out the Proof of Service form
Your server must complete a Proof of Service by Mail (form FL-335).
It helps if you fill in the top part with the court name, case number, and party names before giving it to your server.
Then your server fills in:
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The date they mailed the papers
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Where they mailed them
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Your spouse’s name and address (or their lawyer’s)
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File the Proof of Service form
After your server signs the form:
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Make one copy of the completed Proof of Service form.
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File the original and the copy at the same court where you filed your Response.
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The clerk will stamp and return the copy to you.
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Keep the stamped copy for your records.
✅ Once the Proof of Service is filed, you’ve officially served your Response.
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Key takeaways
- You can’t serve papers yourself.
- Another adult must mail your Response and fill out a Proof of Service form.
- Use regular first-class mail — not certified.
- File the signed Proof of Service with the court.
- Keep a stamped copy for your records.
- After service, your next step is financial disclosure.
Respond to divorce papers
What's next?
Once you’ve served and filed your Response:
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You’ve finished the first part of your case.
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The next step is to exchange financial information with your spouse or domestic partner. This process is called financial disclosure.
💬 If you need help, contact your local self-help center.