Wyoming Divorce Laws: Residency, Waiting Period, Custody and Support
Wyoming divorce rules: residency requirement, grounds, waiting period, filing fee, property division, alimony, custody, child support and uncontested divorce.
Quick answers for Wyoming
- Residency requirement
- One spouse must have lived in Wyoming for the 60 days immediately before filing, or the marriage must have taken place in Wyoming and one spouse must have lived in Wyoming continuously from the marriage until filing. Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-2-107, 20-2-104
- Waiting period
- A divorce decree cannot be entered less than 20 days after the complaint is filed. A spouse served in Wyoming has 20 days to respond to the complaint. Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-108; Wyoming Judicial Branch, Plaintiff's Family Law Information and Instructions (DIVCP 03)
- Dividing property
- Wyoming uses equitable distribution. The court divides the parties' property in a way that is just and equitable, considering the respective merits of the parties, the condition each will be left in after the divorce, the party through whom the property was acquired, and burdens on the… Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-114
- Filing fee
- A filing fee is required to open a divorce case; the court's instructions say to ask the clerk of district court for the amount and accepted forms of payment. If you cannot afford it, you can ask the court to waive the filing fee. Wyoming Judicial Branch, Plaintiff's Family Law Information and Instructions (DIVCP 03)
- When child support ends
- An ongoing child support obligation ends when the child reaches the age of majority (18), is legally emancipated or dies, or when the parents marry or remarry each other. Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-2-313, 14-2-204(a), 14-1-101(a)
Last verified: 2026-10-27
Filing for divorce
| Residency requirement | One spouse must have lived in Wyoming for the 60 days immediately before filing, or the marriage must have taken place in Wyoming and one spouse must have lived in Wyoming continuously from the marriage until filing. A married person who lives in Wyoming when filing counts as a resident even if the other spouse lives elsewhere. The case is filed in the district court of the county where either spouse lives. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-2-107, 20-2-104 |
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| Grounds for divorce | Wyoming's general ground is irreconcilable differences in the marital relationship (no-fault). A divorce may also be granted when a spouse has become incurably insane and has been confined in a mental hospital for at least two years before the case is filed, with a guardian and the county attorney appointed to protect that spouse. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-2-104, 20-2-105 |
| Waiting period | A divorce decree cannot be entered less than 20 days after the complaint is filed. A spouse served in Wyoming has 20 days to respond to the complaint. |
| Filing fee | A filing fee is required to open a divorce case; the court's instructions say to ask the clerk of district court for the amount and accepted forms of payment. If you cannot afford it, you can ask the court to waive the filing fee. Having the sheriff serve the papers typically costs around $50. The official instructions do not state the filing fee amount. |
| Uncontested or simplified divorce | Wyoming has no separate summary divorce, but the court's self-help packets are designed for spouses who agree. If the defendant files an answer and the spouses agree on all issues, they file financial affidavits, a Decree of Divorce signed and notarized by both, and an Affidavit for Divorce Without Appearance of Parties, which lets the court grant the divorce without a hearing (the judge may still require one). If the defendant does not respond in time, the plaintiff can seek a default divorce. |
| Divorce forms | The Wyoming Judicial Branch's Self-Help Forms page has four divorce packets: Divorce with Minor Children (Plaintiff and Defendant) and Divorce with No Children (Plaintiff and Defendant). Each packet includes a list of forms, an overview, instructions and a checklist. All four divorce packets have free online Form-Filling Guides, guided interviews that ask about your case and produce filled-in forms to download or print. Divorce cases are filed with the District Court clerk. |
Property and alimony
| Dividing property | Wyoming uses equitable distribution. The court divides the parties' property in a way that is just and equitable, considering the respective merits of the parties, the condition each will be left in after the divorce, the party through whom the property was acquired, and burdens on the property for the benefit of either party and the children. The court may not consider or award a veteran's federal service-connected disability benefits. The statute does not define separate property. Source: Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-114 |
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| Alimony (spousal support) | The court may award either party reasonable alimony out of the other's estate, considering the other's ability to pay. It may assign real estate or its rents and profits to a party for life, or order a specific sum. Temporary alimony and allowances may be ordered while the case is pending. There is no statutory formula or list of duration limits. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-2-114, 20-2-111 |
Children: custody and support
| Child custody | The court decides custody based on the children's best interests, considering factors including: each child's relationship with each parent; each parent's ability to provide care; each parent's competency and fitness; willingness to accept parenting responsibilities and to share care; how parents and children can maintain their relationships and communicate; each parent's willingness to respect the other's rights; distance between homes; each parent's physical and mental ability; and any sex-offender registration conviction. The court may not prefer a parent because of gender and may not favor or disfavor any form of custody; custody may be any combination of joint, shared or sole. Evidence of spousal or child abuse is considered contrary to the children's best interest. The statute does not set an age at which a child's preference is considered. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-2-201, 20-2-202 |
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| Emergency and temporary custody | While a divorce is pending, either party can apply for an order on the care and custody of the minor children during the case. The applying party must tell the court about any known protection or custody orders from other courts. The court must treat evidence of spouse or child abuse as contrary to the children's best interest, and if it finds family violence occurred, must arrange visitation during temporary custody that best protects the children and the abused spouse. After a divorce complaint is filed, the court may also bar a party from restraining the other's personal liberty during the case. |
| Parenting class or mediation | Not required statewide by statute. The court may at any time require parents to attend appropriate parenting classes, including classes to lessen the effects of divorce on children. If ordered, a Certificate of Completion must be filed with the clerk. |
| Grandparents' rights | A grandparent (including a great-grandparent) may file an action against the person who has custody of the grandchild to establish reasonable visitation. The court must grant reasonable visitation if, after a hearing, it finds visitation is in the child's best interest and the parents' rights are not substantially impaired. The grandparent pays any guardian ad litem fees. No action may be brought if the child was adopted and neither adoptive parent is related by blood to the child. Source: Wyo. Stat. § 20-7-101 |
Child support
| Child support | Wyoming uses an income shares model. The parents' combined net monthly income is applied to statutory tables by number of children to find the total support obligation, which is divided between the parents in proportion to their net incomes; the noncustodial parent pays their share to the custodial parent through the clerk. A self-support reserve and a reduced amount for certain joint physical custody arrangements (each parent keeps the children overnight more than 25% of the year) can apply. The state offers an online child support calculator. Calculator: https://childsupport.wyoming.gov/calculator/index.html |
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| How to apply for child support | Parents can apply for services from the Wyoming Child Support Program online through its self-service portal, or ask the local child support office for a paper application. The program says it does not charge an application fee. A federally required one-time $35 annual fee is withheld from the next payment once $550 has been collected in a federal fiscal year. Online application: https://childsupport.wyoming.gov/apply/start.php. Local offices: https://childsupport.wyo.gov/locations/ |
| When child support ends | An ongoing child support obligation ends when the child reaches the age of majority (18), is legally emancipated or dies, or when the parents marry or remarry each other. A parent's duty of support continues past 18 for a child who is between 18 and 20 and attending high school or an equivalent program full time, and for a child who is mentally or physically disabled and therefore unable to support themselves. Extension past 18 and age of majority are in Title 14: https://wyoleg.gov/statutes/compress/title14.pdf |
| Changing a child support order | Any party, or the Department of Family Services for orders it enforces, may petition for review and adjustment of an order that was entered or last adjusted more than six months earlier, if applying the guidelines would change support by 20% or more per month; a change that large counts as a change of circumstances justifying modification. A party may also seek modification at any time based on a substantial change of circumstances. Every three years, at either parent's request, the court reviews an order being enforced and may adjust it to the guidelines without any showing of changed circumstances. Support generally cannot be changed retroactively, except back to the date the other party was served with the petition. Parents can ask the local child support office for a review; the office does not handle custody or visitation changes. |
| If child support isn't paid | The local child support office decides the most effective collection method, including income withholding, tax refund interception and license suspension. When a parent is behind under a court order, a court can order the parent's driver's license, and professional, occupational, hunting or fishing licenses, withheld, suspended or restricted unless the parent pays the full arrearage or enters a payment plan approved by the Department of Family Services. Each unpaid installment paid through the clerk becomes a judgment by operation of law on its due date. A court can order a parent to show cause and hold a parent who willfully violated a support order in contempt, and can order an unemployed able-bodied parent into a work program. The program says parents who owe more than $1,000 are generally reported to the credit bureau. Program pages: https://childsupport.wyo.gov/parents-caregivers/ and https://childsupport.wyo.gov/frequently-asked-questions-faq/ |
| State child support agency | Wyoming's child support agency is the Wyoming Child Support Program, a program of the Wyoming Department of Family Services. It establishes paternity, sets up, collects on and modifies child support orders, and locates parents; there are no income limits and no application fee. Apply online, or request a paper application from your local child support office. Non-custodial parents can pay online (Child Support Bill Pay or ExpertPay), in cash at participating retailers through PayNearMe, or by mailing a check or money order with the case number to the State of Wyoming Disbursement Unit, 2300 Capitol Avenue, Hathaway Bldg, Fifth Floor, Suite A, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Customer Service Center: 307-777-6948. Payments: https://childsupport.wyo.gov/make-a-payment/ |
| Official child support calculator | The Wyoming Child Support Program offers an online Child Support Calculator on its self-service portal to calculate an estimate of child support using Wyoming's statutory guidelines (formula). The program says the calculator is informational and educational only, does not guarantee the amount that will be ordered and is not legal advice; the court has the final authority to determine the amount of support. Calculator: https://childsupport.wyoming.gov/calculator/index.html |
Separation, annulment, records and marriage
| Legal separation | Yes. When grounds for divorce exist, a spouse may file for a judicial separation in the same way as a divorce, asking to live separate and apart instead. The court can order custody, support, property division, alimony and restraining orders, may set a time limit or make the separation permanent, and a divorce may later be granted on grounds arising after the separation decree. Source: Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-106 |
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| Annulment | Marriages are void (without a divorce) if either party was already married, was mentally incompetent, was under 16, or the parties are closely related (including first cousins). A marriage is voidable if either party was 16 or 17 without a judge's consent (and they separated before reaching the age of consent without later living together), or if consent was obtained by force or fraud with no later voluntary cohabitation. Either party may petition the district court where one of them lives to annul the marriage. Source: Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-101 |
| Common-law marriage | Wyoming law requires a marriage license from a Wyoming county clerk before any marriage is solemnized in the state, so a marriage cannot be created in Wyoming without a license and ceremony. Marriages that were valid where they were contracted are valid in Wyoming. The statutes do not use the phrase common-law marriage. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-1-103, 20-1-111 |
| Changing your name after divorce | The state's divorce complaint form lets the plaintiff ask to have their previous name restored as part of the divorce. Otherwise, a person who has lived in Wyoming for at least six months may petition the district court in their county with a verified petition stating the reason for the change; public notice by publication is generally required. |
| Divorce records | Wyoming is a closed-record state: divorce records are confidential and closed to the public until 50 years after the date of the divorce. Wyoming Vital Statistics Services issues certified divorce certificates (computer-generated abstracts) for $25 each to either party named on the certificate or a lawyer representing either party, who must show the need. Requests are made by mail on the state's application form with a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID (or a notarized signature), payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Vital Statistics Services: (307) 777-7591, wdh.vss@wyo.gov. |
Marriage and name changes
| Getting a marriage license | Get a license from any Wyoming county clerk; one of the parties applies. The clerk confirms, through testimony of a competent witness and the applicant, the parties' names, Social Security numbers (if they have them), residences and ages, and whether there is any legal impediment. The license expires one year after issuance if the marriage has not been solemnized. The statutes reviewed set no waiting period. A district judge may order a license issued if the clerk refuses or a requirement needs to be waived. The license fee was not found in Title 20; ask the county clerk. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 20-1-103, 20-1-105 |
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| Minimum marriage age | The general minimum age is 18, and no one under 16 may marry. A 16- or 17-year-old may marry only with the consent of a parent, guardian or person having care and control (verbal if present, written and witnessed if absent) and approval by a district judge who authorizes the clerk to issue the license. Minors 16 or older who meet the legal requirements to contract or who have an emancipation decree may marry without judicial approval or anyone's consent. |
| Legal name change | A person who has lived in Wyoming for at least six months may file a verified petition in the district court of their county, stating their full name, the desired name, the reason, place of birth, residence, and how long they have lived in the county. Public notice is given in the same manner as service by publication in civil cases, unless the court has entered a confidentiality order to protect the person's address. The court orders the change if it is proper and not harmful to anyone else's interests. |
Adoption, guardianship and paternity
| Adoption requirements | Any adult who has lived in Wyoming for the 60 days before filing and whom the court finds fit and competent may adopt; a single adult, a married couple living together, or one spouse if the other is the child's parent may petition in district court. Written relinquishment and consent are required from both parents (or the surviving parent, mother and known putative father, guardian, custodial agency, or person with court-ordered custody), and from the child if over 14. Consent is not required if the court finds a parent has, for example, willfully abandoned the child, willfully failed to support the child for one year before filing (and did not catch up within 60 days of service), lost parental rights, or failed to appear after notice. The court may enter an interlocutory decree, order the Department of Family Services or a licensed agency to investigate, and may enter a final decree once the child has lived in the home for six months. |
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| Stepparent adoption | A married person may petition alone when the other spouse is the child's parent. The other parent must consent unless the court finds a statutory ground to proceed without consent, such as willful abandonment or willful failure to support for one year before filing. When a parent joins the petition, the usual medical report on the child is not required. An investigation is ordered at the court's discretion, and a final decree may be entered once the child has lived in the home for six months. |
| Guardianship of a child | Any person may file a petition with the district court clerk stating the proposed ward's status as a minor, the reasons for and facts showing the guardianship is in the minor's best interest, and the proposed guardian's fitness; the case may be transferred to juvenile court if the child is already under its jurisdiction. The court may appoint a guardian if the petition's allegations are proved by a preponderance of the evidence, and the order states the reasons, the duration and whether the duties are limited or plenary. A minor 14 or older may petition voluntarily for their own guardian. |
| Guardianship of an adult | Any person may petition the district court for a guardian of an incompetent or mentally incompetent adult; notice goes to the proposed ward, custodian, parents, spouse, adult children and any agent under a known power of attorney. The court may appoint a guardian if the person's status and the need for a guardian are proved by a preponderance of the evidence, and the order must state the reasons, duration and whether the guardian's duties are limited or plenary. An adult may also petition voluntarily for a guardian, and temporary guardianships of adults are generally limited to 90 days. |
| Establishing paternity | The mother and a man claiming to be the genetic father may sign an acknowledgment of paternity under penalty for false swearing, before or after birth; when filed with the state Office of Vital Records it is equivalent to a court adjudication. A signer may rescind by starting a court proceeding before the earlier of 60 days after it takes effect or the first court hearing about the child (including support). After that, it can be challenged only for fraud, duress or material mistake of fact, within two years after filing. In a court case, the court must order genetic testing on a party's supported sworn request. |
| Emancipation of a minor | A minor at least 17 years old who lives apart from their parents with the parents' consent or acquiescence, manages their own finances, and has lawful income (not public assistance) may file a verified application in district court. The court holds a hearing within 60 days (parents get certified-mail notice at least 10 days before) and may grant emancipation if it is in the minor's best interests, considering parental consent, self-support, maturity and the source of income. The decree recognizes the minor as an adult for contracts, lawsuits, buying and selling real estate, establishing a residence and the criminal laws, and ends parental support, control and tort liability. Source: Wyo. Stat. §§ 14-1-202, 14-1-203 |
Where to get help in Wyoming
Divorce & Family Law FAQ
How long do you have to live in Wyoming to file for divorce?
One spouse must have lived in Wyoming for the 60 days immediately before filing, or the marriage must have taken place in Wyoming and one spouse must have lived in Wyoming continuously from the marriage until filing. A married person who lives in Wyoming when filing counts as a resident even if the other spouse lives elsewhere. The case is filed in the district court of the county where either spouse lives.
Is Wyoming a no-fault divorce state?
Wyoming's general ground is irreconcilable differences in the marital relationship (no-fault). A divorce may also be granted when a spouse has become incurably insane and has been confined in a mental hospital for at least two years before the case is filed, with a guardian and the county attorney appointed to protect that spouse.
Is there a waiting period for divorce in Wyoming?
A divorce decree cannot be entered less than 20 days after the complaint is filed. A spouse served in Wyoming has 20 days to respond to the complaint.
How much does it cost to file for divorce in Wyoming?
A filing fee is required to open a divorce case; the court's instructions say to ask the clerk of district court for the amount and accepted forms of payment. If you cannot afford it, you can ask the court to waive the filing fee. Having the sheriff serve the papers typically costs around $50.
How do you get an uncontested divorce in Wyoming?
Wyoming has no separate summary divorce, but the court's self-help packets are designed for spouses who agree. If the defendant files an answer and the spouses agree on all issues, they file financial affidavits, a Decree of Divorce signed and notarized by both, and an Affidavit for Divorce Without Appearance of Parties, which lets the court grant the divorce without a hearing (the judge may still require one). If the defendant does not respond in time, the plaintiff can seek a default divorce.
Is Wyoming a community property state?
Wyoming uses equitable distribution. The court divides the parties' property in a way that is just and equitable, considering the respective merits of the parties, the condition each will be left in after the divorce, the party through whom the property was acquired, and burdens on the property for the benefit of either party and the children. The court may not consider or award a veteran's federal service-connected disability benefits.
How is alimony decided in Wyoming?
The court may award either party reasonable alimony out of the other's estate, considering the other's ability to pay. It may assign real estate or its rents and profits to a party for life, or order a specific sum. Temporary alimony and allowances may be ordered while the case is pending. There is no statutory formula or list of duration limits.
How is child custody decided in Wyoming?
The court decides custody based on the children's best interests, considering factors including: each child's relationship with each parent; each parent's ability to provide care; each parent's competency and fitness; willingness to accept parenting responsibilities and to share care; how parents and children can maintain their relationships and communicate; each parent's willingness to respect the other's rights; distance between homes; each parent's physical and mental ability; and any sex-offender registration conviction. The court may not prefer a parent because of gender and may not favor or disfavor any form of custody; custody may be any combination of joint, shared or sole. Evidence of spousal or child abuse is considered contrary to the children's best interest.
How is child support calculated in Wyoming?
Wyoming uses an income shares model. The parents' combined net monthly income is applied to statutory tables by number of children to find the total support obligation, which is divided between the parents in proportion to their net incomes; the noncustodial parent pays their share to the custodial parent through the clerk. A self-support reserve and a reduced amount for certain joint physical custody arrangements (each parent keeps the children overnight more than 25% of the year) can apply. The state offers an online child support calculator.
Do you have to take a parenting class to divorce in Wyoming?
Not required statewide by statute. The court may at any time require parents to attend appropriate parenting classes, including classes to lessen the effects of divorce on children. If ordered, a Certificate of Completion must be filed with the clerk.
Can you get a legal separation in Wyoming?
Yes. When grounds for divorce exist, a spouse may file for a judicial separation in the same way as a divorce, asking to live separate and apart instead. The court can order custody, support, property division, alimony and restraining orders, may set a time limit or make the separation permanent, and a divorce may later be granted on grounds arising after the separation decree.
What are the grounds for annulment in Wyoming?
Marriages are void (without a divorce) if either party was already married, was mentally incompetent, was under 16, or the parties are closely related (including first cousins). A marriage is voidable if either party was 16 or 17 without a judge's consent (and they separated before reaching the age of consent without later living together), or if consent was obtained by force or fraud with no later voluntary cohabitation. Either party may petition the district court where one of them lives to annul the marriage.
Does Wyoming recognize common-law marriage?
Wyoming law requires a marriage license from a Wyoming county clerk before any marriage is solemnized in the state, so a marriage cannot be created in Wyoming without a license and ceremony. Marriages that were valid where they were contracted are valid in Wyoming.
Do grandparents have visitation rights in Wyoming?
A grandparent (including a great-grandparent) may file an action against the person who has custody of the grandchild to establish reasonable visitation. The court must grant reasonable visitation if, after a hearing, it finds visitation is in the child's best interest and the parents' rights are not substantially impaired. The grandparent pays any guardian ad litem fees. No action may be brought if the child was adopted and neither adoptive parent is related by blood to the child.
How do you change your name back after a divorce in Wyoming?
The state's divorce complaint form lets the plaintiff ask to have their previous name restored as part of the divorce. Otherwise, a person who has lived in Wyoming for at least six months may petition the district court in their county with a verified petition stating the reason for the change; public notice by publication is generally required.
At what age does child support end in Wyoming?
An ongoing child support obligation ends when the child reaches the age of majority (18), is legally emancipated or dies, or when the parents marry or remarry each other. A parent's duty of support continues past 18 for a child who is between 18 and 20 and attending high school or an equivalent program full time, and for a child who is mentally or physically disabled and therefore unable to support themselves.
How do I file for child support in Wyoming?
Parents can apply for services from the Wyoming Child Support Program online through its self-service portal, or ask the local child support office for a paper application. The program says it does not charge an application fee. A federally required one-time $35 annual fee is withheld from the next payment once $550 has been collected in a federal fiscal year.
What happens if you don't pay child support in Wyoming?
The local child support office decides the most effective collection method, including income withholding, tax refund interception and license suspension. When a parent is behind under a court order, a court can order the parent's driver's license, and professional, occupational, hunting or fishing licenses, withheld, suspended or restricted unless the parent pays the full arrearage or enters a payment plan approved by the Department of Family Services. Each unpaid installment paid through the clerk becomes a judgment by operation of law on its due date. A court can order a parent to show cause and hold a parent who willfully violated a support order in contempt, and can order an unemployed able-bodied parent into a work program. The program says parents who owe more than $1,000 are generally reported to the credit bureau.
How do you modify child support in Wyoming?
Any party, or the Department of Family Services for orders it enforces, may petition for review and adjustment of an order that was entered or last adjusted more than six months earlier, if applying the guidelines would change support by 20% or more per month; a change that large counts as a change of circumstances justifying modification. A party may also seek modification at any time based on a substantial change of circumstances. Every three years, at either parent's request, the court reviews an order being enforced and may adjust it to the guidelines without any showing of changed circumstances. Support generally cannot be changed retroactively, except back to the date the other party was served with the petition. Parents can ask the local child support office for a review; the office does not handle custody or visitation changes.
How do you get emergency custody in Wyoming?
While a divorce is pending, either party can apply for an order on the care and custody of the minor children during the case. The applying party must tell the court about any known protection or custody orders from other courts. The court must treat evidence of spouse or child abuse as contrary to the children's best interest, and if it finds family violence occurred, must arrange visitation during temporary custody that best protects the children and the abused spouse. After a divorce complaint is filed, the court may also bar a party from restraining the other's personal liberty during the case.
Are divorce records public in Wyoming, and how do I get a copy?
Wyoming is a closed-record state: divorce records are confidential and closed to the public until 50 years after the date of the divorce. Wyoming Vital Statistics Services issues certified divorce certificates (computer-generated abstracts) for $25 each to either party named on the certificate or a lawyer representing either party, who must show the need. Requests are made by mail on the state's application form with a photocopy of a valid government-issued photo ID (or a notarized signature), payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
How do you get a marriage license in Wyoming?
Get a license from any Wyoming county clerk; one of the parties applies. The clerk confirms, through testimony of a competent witness and the applicant, the parties' names, Social Security numbers (if they have them), residences and ages, and whether there is any legal impediment. The license expires one year after issuance if the marriage has not been solemnized. The statutes reviewed set no waiting period. A district judge may order a license issued if the clerk refuses or a requirement needs to be waived.
What is the legal age to get married in Wyoming?
The general minimum age is 18, and no one under 16 may marry. A 16- or 17-year-old may marry only with the consent of a parent, guardian or person having care and control (verbal if present, written and witnessed if absent) and approval by a district judge who authorizes the clerk to issue the license. Minors 16 or older who meet the legal requirements to contract or who have an emancipation decree may marry without judicial approval or anyone's consent.
What are the requirements to adopt a child in Wyoming?
Any adult who has lived in Wyoming for the 60 days before filing and whom the court finds fit and competent may adopt; a single adult, a married couple living together, or one spouse if the other is the child's parent may petition in district court. Written relinquishment and consent are required from both parents (or the surviving parent, mother and known putative father, guardian, custodial agency, or person with court-ordered custody), and from the child if over 14. Consent is not required if the court finds a parent has, for example, willfully abandoned the child, willfully failed to support the child for one year before filing (and did not catch up within 60 days of service), lost parental rights, or failed to appear after notice. The court may enter an interlocutory decree, order the Department of Family Services or a licensed agency to investigate, and may enter a final decree once the child has lived in the home for six months.
How does stepparent adoption work in Wyoming?
A married person may petition alone when the other spouse is the child's parent. The other parent must consent unless the court finds a statutory ground to proceed without consent, such as willful abandonment or willful failure to support for one year before filing. When a parent joins the petition, the usual medical report on the child is not required. An investigation is ordered at the court's discretion, and a final decree may be entered once the child has lived in the home for six months.
How do you get guardianship of a child in Wyoming?
Any person may file a petition with the district court clerk stating the proposed ward's status as a minor, the reasons for and facts showing the guardianship is in the minor's best interest, and the proposed guardian's fitness; the case may be transferred to juvenile court if the child is already under its jurisdiction. The court may appoint a guardian if the petition's allegations are proved by a preponderance of the evidence, and the order states the reasons, the duration and whether the duties are limited or plenary. A minor 14 or older may petition voluntarily for their own guardian.
How do you get guardianship of an adult in Wyoming?
Any person may petition the district court for a guardian of an incompetent or mentally incompetent adult; notice goes to the proposed ward, custodian, parents, spouse, adult children and any agent under a known power of attorney. The court may appoint a guardian if the person's status and the need for a guardian are proved by a preponderance of the evidence, and the order must state the reasons, duration and whether the guardian's duties are limited or plenary. An adult may also petition voluntarily for a guardian, and temporary guardianships of adults are generally limited to 90 days.
How do you establish paternity in Wyoming?
The mother and a man claiming to be the genetic father may sign an acknowledgment of paternity under penalty for false swearing, before or after birth; when filed with the state Office of Vital Records it is equivalent to a court adjudication. A signer may rescind by starting a court proceeding before the earlier of 60 days after it takes effect or the first court hearing about the child (including support). After that, it can be challenged only for fraud, duress or material mistake of fact, within two years after filing. In a court case, the court must order genetic testing on a party's supported sworn request.
How do you legally change your name in Wyoming?
A person who has lived in Wyoming for at least six months may file a verified petition in the district court of their county, stating their full name, the desired name, the reason, place of birth, residence, and how long they have lived in the county. Public notice is given in the same manner as service by publication in civil cases, unless the court has entered a confidentiality order to protect the person's address. The court orders the change if it is proper and not harmful to anyone else's interests.
How does a minor get emancipated in Wyoming?
A minor at least 17 years old who lives apart from their parents with the parents' consent or acquiescence, manages their own finances, and has lawful income (not public assistance) may file a verified application in district court. The court holds a hearing within 60 days (parents get certified-mail notice at least 10 days before) and may grant emancipation if it is in the minor's best interests, considering parental consent, self-support, maturity and the source of income. The decree recognizes the minor as an adult for contracts, lawsuits, buying and selling real estate, establishing a residence and the criminal laws, and ends parental support, control and tort liability.
Where can I get divorce papers and forms in Wyoming?
The Wyoming Judicial Branch's Self-Help Forms page has four divorce packets: Divorce with Minor Children (Plaintiff and Defendant) and Divorce with No Children (Plaintiff and Defendant). Each packet includes a list of forms, an overview, instructions and a checklist. All four divorce packets have free online Form-Filling Guides, guided interviews that ask about your case and produce filled-in forms to download or print. Divorce cases are filed with the District Court clerk.
Who handles child support in Wyoming, and how do I contact them?
Wyoming's child support agency is the Wyoming Child Support Program, a program of the Wyoming Department of Family Services. It establishes paternity, sets up, collects on and modifies child support orders, and locates parents; there are no income limits and no application fee. Apply online, or request a paper application from your local child support office. Non-custodial parents can pay online (Child Support Bill Pay or ExpertPay), in cash at participating retailers through PayNearMe, or by mailing a check or money order with the case number to the State of Wyoming Disbursement Unit, 2300 Capitol Avenue, Hathaway Bldg, Fifth Floor, Suite A, Cheyenne, WY 82002. Customer Service Center: 307-777-6948.
Is there an official child support calculator in Wyoming?
The Wyoming Child Support Program offers an online Child Support Calculator on its self-service portal to calculate an estimate of child support using Wyoming's statutory guidelines (formula). The program says the calculator is informational and educational only, does not guarantee the amount that will be ordered and is not legal advice; the court has the final authority to determine the amount of support.
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.