- 1). Evaluate your personal safety immediately if your husband keeps begging you to stay in your marriage but you wish to leave. Contact law enforcement or another resource such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 if you have concerns about your safety or the safety of your children. Remember that domestic violence can take on many forms, including physical, emotional or financial abuse.
- 2). Learn about the divorce grounds recognized by your state in a contested divorce, including no-fault or fault divorce, even when your husband does not agree. Recognize the divorce grounds relevant to your personal situation, such as an irretrievably broken marriage, adultery, desertion or habitual intoxication.
- 3). Identify the appropriate court where you can file for divorce. Ensure that either you or your husband meet the residency requirements for you to file a divorce petition with the family law court located in a particular county. Learn about the contested divorce procedures required by the local court and gather the relevant family law forms used by the court.
- 4). Prepare the family law petition to start your divorce proceedings by using the required state forms and filling in the requested information about yourself, your husband and any minor children you have together. State the reasons for your contested divorce where the forms ask you to identify the divorce grounds. Identify any relevant dates, such as your marriage date and separation date. Gather financial documents showing your income, property and debts for the purposes of spousal support, child support support and property division, and complete any necessary financial forms related to your divorce petition.
- 5). Follow the local court procedures to file your divorce petition and pay any relevant filing fees. Serve a copy of the divorce petition on your husband using any method recognized under your state's laws. Continue with the next steps required by your state to complete the divorce, including participation in any mandatory mediation sessions with your husband and attendance at all scheduled court hearings, until you receive a final divorce judgment from the court.
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