Filing California's joint divorce petition together assumes you and your spouse will stay in agreement all the way to judgment. Sometimes that does not hold. Form FL-720, Notice of Revocation of Joint Petition, is the exit ramp built into the process by Senate Bill 1427, and it is available to either spouse, for any reason, right up until the court signs your judgment.
Key Takeaway: Either spouse can revoke a Joint Petition (FL-700) at any time before judgment, without the other spouse's consent, by filing Form FL-720 along with an amended Petition (FL-100) or amended Response (FL-120) and having the other spouse served. The case then continues in the same file, under the original filing date, as a standard divorce with a petitioner and a respondent.
Form FL-720 is the California Judicial Council form titled Notice of Revocation of Joint Petition. It exists because of Senate Bill 1427 (Chapter 190, Statutes of 2024), the same law that created the Joint Petition, Form FL-700, effective January 1, 2026.
The form itself is short: it identifies you, your case, and states that you are revoking the joint petition you and your spouse filed together. It does not ask you to explain why. The substance of the change happens in the amended petition or response you file alongside it, which is what actually converts the case.
If you have not filed a joint petition and are simply weighing whether the joint process is right for your situation in the first place, our comparison of the joint petition versus the traditional petition and response walks through that decision.
Either spouse can revoke, regardless of whether they filed as Petitioner 1 or Petitioner 2 on the original FL-700. Revocation is a unilateral right: you do not need your spouse's agreement, and you do not need a judge to approve it. The only real deadline is this: revocation must happen before the court enters judgment in the case.
That single deadline means the window is often wider than people expect. It stays open through:
- The 60 day period for exchanging financial disclosures
- Any delay in reaching final agreement on every term
- The 6 month statutory waiting period for divorce
Once the court has entered judgment, the case is over and there is nothing left to revoke. Before that point, either of you can pull the ripcord at any time.
<h2 id="how-to-revoke">How to Revoke: Step by Step</h2>The process follows the same instructions the Judicial Council built into the FL-700-INFO sheet for the joint petition itself.
1. Decide which amended pleading you need
If you were Petitioner 1 on the original FL-700, you file an amended FL-100, Petition, checking the box that marks it as amended. If you were Petitioner 2, you file an amended FL-120, Response, also marked amended. Either spouse can be the one to revoke, so this depends on which role you held, not on who wants to revoke.
2. Complete Form FL-720
Fill out FL-720 with your name and case information. If you have an attorney for this case, include their State Bar number and firm name. The form states that you are revoking the joint petition filed in this case.
3. File both documents together, same day
File FL-720 and your amended FL-100 or FL-120 on the same day, in the same case, using the case number that was already assigned when you filed the joint petition. You are not opening a new case.
4. Pay any required fee
Check with your county Superior Court clerk about whether a fee applies to filing the amended pleading. Filing fees are set and administered county by county, so confirm the current amount before you go in.
5. Have your spouse served
This is the step that makes revocation different from the joint petition itself. When you originally filed FL-700 together, the petition was deemed served on both of you automatically, the moment it was filed. Revocation does not carry that shortcut.
Once you file FL-720 with your amended FL-100 or FL-120, have someone 18 or older who is not a party to the case serve your spouse with the filed paperwork. That server then completes a Proof of Service, which gets filed with the court, the same way service works in a traditional divorce case.
Revoking the joint petition moves your case into the process built for disagreement. That process depends on formal service to protect both spouses' notice and response rights, so do not skip it even if you are still on speaking terms with your spouse.
Once served, your spouse has 30 calendar days to file their own response: an amended FL-100 if the roles need adjusting, or more commonly, their own FL-120 addressing the case as it now stands.
<h2 id="after-revocation">What Happens to Your Case After Revocation</h2>Revocation does not close your case or make you start over. It converts the same case from the joint process into the standard petitioner and respondent structure.
Concretely, once the amended petition or response is filed:
- Petitioner 1 becomes the petitioner. Petitioner 2 becomes the respondent. Whichever role you held on the original FL-700 carries forward.
- The case number stays the same. You are still in the file you opened when you filed the joint petition.
- The original filing date is preserved. For purposes of the 6 month waiting period and other deadlines, the case is treated as though it started on the day the joint petition was filed, not the day of revocation.
- No new summons is issued. The standard restraining orders (the ATROs) printed on the original Summons (Joint Petition), Form FL-710, keep applying to both of you without interruption.
- Court orders become available. Neither spouse could ask for temporary orders while the joint petition was pending. After revocation, either of you can file a Request for Order (Form FL-300) for temporary custody, support, or other relief.
- Disclosures already exchanged still count. If you already completed FL-140, FL-150, and FL-142 or FL-160 before revoking, that work is not wasted; the case simply continues forward with disclosures either satisfied or still owed, same as any other divorce.
From this point forward, the case runs like a case that started with a regular Petition (FL-100) and Response (FL-120): each spouse can take independent positions, ask the court for orders, and eventually finalize by agreement, default, or trial.
<h2 id="why-revoke">Common Reasons Couples Revoke</h2>The statute does not require a stated reason, but in practice, spouses tend to revoke the joint petition for a handful of predictable reasons:
- A disagreement surfaces. The joint petition assumes agreement on every term. If a new disagreement about property, support, or custody comes up after filing, the joint structure cannot hold it, and one spouse revokes to move the disputed issue into a process built to resolve it.
- Someone needs a temporary order. Because neither spouse can request court orders while a joint petition is pending, a spouse who suddenly needs temporary child support, custody, or a protective order has to revoke first.
- Circumstances change. A job loss, a move, a new safety concern, or any other change in circumstances can make one spouse want independent legal footing rather than a shared filing.
- One spouse stops participating. If a spouse who agreed to file jointly later becomes unresponsive about disclosures or the judgment paperwork, the other spouse can revoke rather than let the case stall indefinitely.
None of these require the other spouse's permission. The point of the unilateral right to revoke is that neither spouse is ever locked into the joint process against their will.
<h2 id="costs">Does Revoking Cost Anything?</h2>Revoking itself is a mechanism, not a purchase; you are not paying for a new case. Whether a fee applies to filing the amended FL-100 or FL-120 depends on your county Superior Court, so ask your local clerk before you file. If you already paid the $870 joint petition filing fee or received a fee waiver on it, that payment or waiver was for opening the case and does not need to be repeated to revoke.
If cost is a concern either way, a fee waiver is available on Form FW-001 for whatever fees do apply going forward.
<h2 id="faqs">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>What is Form FL-720 used for?
Form FL-720, Notice of Revocation of Joint Petition, tells the court and your spouse that you are withdrawing from a Joint Petition (Form FL-700) filed under Senate Bill 1427. You use it when you filed jointly but no longer want the case to proceed that way, as long as the court has not yet entered judgment. The Judicial Council introduced FL-720 alongside FL-700 when the joint petition process became available on January 1, 2026.
Can my spouse stop me from revoking the joint petition?
No. Either spouse can revoke the joint petition at any time before the court enters judgment, without the other spouse's agreement and without asking a judge for permission. That one-sided right is built into the statute created by SB 1427. Your spouse cannot block the revocation, though they do get 30 days after being served to file their own response once you have revoked.
Do I need a reason to revoke a joint petition?
No. The law does not require you to state a reason on Form FL-720, and the court does not evaluate whether your reason is good enough. You might revoke because you disagree on a term, because you need a temporary order the joint process does not allow, or simply because you changed your mind about filing jointly. The right to revoke is unconditional up until judgment is entered.
What forms do I file with FL-720?
You file FL-720 together with an amended Petition (Form FL-100) if you were Petitioner 1 on the joint petition, or an amended Response (Form FL-120) if you were Petitioner 2, checking the box marking it as amended. Both documents are filed the same day, in the same case, using the same case number as the original joint petition.
Does revoking a joint petition start our case over?
No. The original filing date of the joint petition is preserved for the case and its deadlines, including California's 6 month waiting period for divorce. The court does not issue a new summons, and the standard restraining orders that began when you filed the joint petition keep applying. Revoking changes how the case proceeds from here, not when it started.
Do I have to have my spouse served if I revoke?
Yes. Once you file FL-720 with your amended FL-100 or FL-120, you need to have your spouse served with the filed paperwork. This is different from the joint petition itself, which was deemed served automatically when you filed it together. Revocation moves the case into the standard process, so the usual rule applies: have someone 18 or older who is not a party to the case complete service, then file proof of that service with the court.
How Virdix Helps If You Need to Revoke
Revoking a joint petition means switching from cooperative paperwork to paperwork built for two independent parties, on a deadline, without losing track of what you already filed. Virdix can help either way:
- Amended FL-100 or FL-120, generated correctly for your role in the original joint case
- FL-720 prepared alongside it, so both documents are ready to file together
- Consistent case details, your case number, filing date, and prior answers carry forward instead of starting from a blank form
- Guidance on what comes next, including Request for Order paperwork if you need temporary orders
We are a document preparation service, not a law firm, and cannot advise you on whether revoking is the right move for your situation. For that judgment call, talk to a licensed California family law attorney. Once you know your path, Virdix helps you prepare the paperwork correctly. You can also browse our county-by-county divorce guides for local court details.
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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Virdix is a document preparation service, not a law firm, and does not provide legal advice. For advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed California family law attorney.
Sources: California Courts Self Help Guide, Joint Petition, Form FL-720, Notice of Revocation of Joint Petition, Form FL-700-INFO, Senate Bill 1427 (Chapter 190, Statutes of 2024), California Family Code section 2342.5, Judicial Council of California