You must file for a divorce with the court system to be able to have your divorce legally recognized. Divorces can be expensive and therefore it is advisable that you settle your disagreements through litigation prior to filing for a divorce. By doing this, it will expedite your court proceedings and the finalization of your divorce will come sooner than expected. If you file with the court system before you and your spouse have agreed on the terms, a divorce can become very expensive for both parties involved. Your personal situation and all that is involved will determine the paperwork that you will need to file. If children are involved, of course there is a considerable amount of paperwork just pertaining to that, like: child custody, visitation, medical support, child support etc. Property distribution will also have to be covered and depending upon your state's laws on spousal support, you may even want to file paperwork pertaining to such. Just remember, that you will have to pay the courts whenever you file the paperwork. So, even if you do purchase one of those do-it-yourself divorce kits and all aspects of the divorce is agreed upon, it will cost you at least, to file the paperwork.