DE · rules
Del. Fam. Ct. Civ. R. 104.1
Scheduling; notice of hearings
(a) When a hearing has been requested by the Petitioner in his or her Petition for Divorce or
Annulment or by the Counter-petitioner, the Court Clerk shall schedule the petition for an
uncontested divorce hearing.
(b) When the Petitioner has requested to proceed without an uncontested divorce or annulment
hearing, the Court Clerk shall send the Petitioner a Notice once the case becomes trial ready.
A case is deemed trial ready once any applicable period of separation has passed, the
Respondent has been served, and the applicable Parent Education requirements have been
satisfied. The Petitioner shall have twenty (20) days from the date on the Notice of Trial
Readiness to file a Request to Proceed Without a Hearing and Affidavit in Support of the
Request with the Court. If no Request and Affidavit are filed within twenty (20) days of the
date of the Notice of Trial Readiness, the Court Clerk shall schedule the petition for an
uncontested divorce or annulment hearing.
(c) Nothing in this Rule prohibits a Petitioner or Counter-petitioner from filing a Request to
Proceed before receiving a Notice of Trial Readiness if the case is trial ready.
(d) Once an uncontested divorce or annulment hearing has been scheduled, a Petitioner may
request to have his or her petition decided without a hearing by filing a Request to Proceed
Without a Hearing and Affidavit in Support of the Request provided that the Request and
Affidavit are filed prior to the date of the scheduled uncontested divorce or annulment
hearing.
(e) A Request to Proceed without a Hearing shall be accompanied by (1) an Affidavit in support
thereof, (2) if available, a copy of either the Notice of Trial Readiness or Notice of Hearing
issued by the Court, and (3) a verification that a copy has been served on the Respondent.
(f) The Affidavit in Support of Request to Proceed Without a Hearing shall:
(1) Reaffirm the petition;
(2) Verify service of process on the Respondent;
(3) Verify the military status of the Respondent and advise whether Respondent has filed an
Answer or a Waiver of his or her rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act;
(4) Affirm any applicable periods of separation under Title 13, Chapter 15; and
(5) Affirm that the parties have not occupied the same bedroom or had sexual relations with
each other with the last 30 days.
(g) Unless there has been appearance by respondent, an affidavit of nonmilitary service shall be
presented at the hearing or filed in the action.
History
Amended, Sept. 14, 2000, effective Nov. 1, 2000; Dec. 6, 2004; Sept. 22, 2021, effective Dec. 1, 2021.
Provenance
- Source
- courts.delaware.gov
- Retrieved
- 2026-09-23
- Edition
- 2026-09-23
- Content hash
1caa66dee6062c5f27f345b02673f5210c28a7972ba830a0060751113c2618e3
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