Divorce procedure in Saudi Arabia now runs electronically through the Najiz platform for most of its steps, but the picture depends on where you stand: a husband who has pronounced a divorce has a direct documentation route, while a wife seeking separation — or seeking to confirm an undocumented divorce — has several statutory routes whose fit depends on the facts. This page sets out the steps as organized by the Personal Status Law issued by Royal Decree M/73 of 2022, within the Personal Status materials on Hala Law. It is a general overview; the outcome depends on the documents, the evidence, and the court's assessment.

First: the husband's documentation steps

  1. Sign in through the Najiz platform with a National Access account.
  2. Select the divorce documentation service from the social status package.
  3. Fill in the details of the husband and wife or their representatives, the marriage contract or family record, and the divorce details and place of the event.
  4. Attach the documents and submit the application.
  5. Follow the notifications and complete any pending requests.

The interface steps above reflect the last verification on 25 June 2026; labels may change as the platform is updated.

The statutory deadline is not open-ended: Article 90 requires documenting the divorce within no more than 15 days of it becoming final, and if the husband fails to document it and the wife is unaware of it, she is entitled to compensation of no less than the minimum maintenance under Article 91. The deadlines and steps — including revocation documentation — are detailed in Documenting Divorce on Najiz.

Second: the wife's routes

There is no single route for the wife; the route depends on the facts:

| Situation | Statutory route | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | Both spouses agree to separate for consideration | Khul (Articles 95, 96) | Valid by mutual agreement without a court judgment; documentation is mandatory (Article 102) | | Harm making continued married life untenable | Annulment case for harm (Article 108) | The court examines it on the evidence | | Persistent discord without proven harm | Two-arbiter route (Article 109) | Arbitration period of no more than 60 days from appointment | | Failure to maintain | Annulment for non-maintenance | Per the facts and evidence of the file | | A divorce occurred but was not documented | Divorce-confirmation case | A right preserved for the wife by Article 90 |

Cases are filed through the statement of claim service on Najiz, and the Ministry of Justice system offers multiple social-status services. In khul specifically, anything that validly counts as property may serve as consideration, but the consideration may never be a waiver of any of the children's rights or their custody (Article 100).

Choosing the route is not a matter of form; each route has its own conditions and proof, and one may fit better than another depending on the available documents. Among the means of proving harm mentioned in the Executive Regulations is testimony by common repute within the spouses' circle of life, with the weight and sufficiency of every piece of evidence resting with the court.

Cost

Personal status court cases and applications are exempt from the Judicial Costs Law, except cassation applications and applications for reconsideration. Other costs may still arise outside court fees, such as lawyers' fees, the agreed consideration in khul, or document and translation expenses.

After documentation: independent matters

Documenting the divorce does not necessarily close the file. Independent matters may follow, each examined by the court on its own: maintenance — with no fixed percentage, assessed by the dependent's situation, the provider's means, and economic conditions; custody — where the mother comes first after separation, then the father, with the court able to depart from that order based on the ward's best interest; plus visitation, housing, and enforcement.

When do you need a licensed lawyer?

Marital separation cases are among the most fact-specific there are; what fits one file may not fit another. The matter becomes a specific case calling for a licensed lawyer or accredited advisor when:

  • You need to weigh khul against annulment for harm or for non-maintenance — the choice turns on assessing the available evidence before filing anything.
  • The dispute centers on proving harm — messages, reports, witnesses — matters of assessment and evidence whose weight rests with the court.
  • The separation branches into a dispute over custody, maintenance, or visitation, all matters the court examines according to the ward's best interest and the facts of each file.
  • In khul, when the consideration and the agreement need careful drafting so that no children's rights are touched.

The information here is a general framework, not an assessment of any specific case; the outcome in every case depends on the documents, the evidence, and the court's assessment.