Divorce Index Number and RJI in New York: Commencement and Calendaring

Two filing steps bookend the New York divorce process: purchasing the index number (which starts the case) and filing the Request for Judicial Intervention and Note of Issue (which places the case before a judge). Getting either one wrong creates delays that can stretch for months.

The Index Number: Starting Your Case

The index number is your case's unique identifier in the Supreme Court system. You purchase it from the County Clerk for $210 when you file your initial papers.

What to file with the index number:

• Summons with Notice (Form UD-1) OR Summons and Verified Complaint (Forms UD-1a and UD-2)
• Notice of Automatic Orders
• Notice Concerning Continuation of Health Care Coverage
• Notice of Guideline Maintenance
• Child Support Standards Chart (if minor children are involved)

Which summons option? The Summons with Notice (UD-1) is a single form that lists the relief you're seeking — divorce, property division, custody, support. The Summons and Verified Complaint (UD-1a + UD-2) includes a detailed narrative of the facts. Both work for uncontested divorces. The Summons with Notice is simpler for pro se filers.

One critical rule: write the index number and filing date on every document you file after this point. Missing the index number on a form is a common clerk rejection trigger.

As of February 2025, CPLR 515 requires you to file in a county where either spouse or a minor child resides. The County Clerk will reject filings that don't comply.

After Commencement: Service and Response

Once you have the index number, you have 120 days to serve your spouse. After service, you either get their consent (Form UD-7) or wait for the 40-day default period. Only then do you proceed to calendaring.

The Request for Judicial Intervention (RJI) and Note of Issue

The RJI (Form UD-13, $95) and Note of Issue (Form UD-9, $30) are filed together as part of the remaining uncontested divorce packet. These forms move your case from "filed" to "assigned to a judge for review."

When to file the RJI and Note of Issue:

• Immediately after your spouse signs Form UD-7 (consent), OR
• After the 40-day default waiting period has passed

Filing the RJI before the response window closes or before the 40-day default wait is complete will get your packet rejected.

What Gets Filed with the RJI

The RJI and Note of Issue don't go alone — they're part of the complete uncontested divorce packet:

• Sworn Statement of Removal of Barriers to Remarriage (UD-4)
• Affirmation of Regularity (UD-5)
• Plaintiff's Affidavit (UD-6)
• Maintenance Guidelines Worksheet (UD-8(2)), if applicable
• Child Support Worksheet (UD-8(3)), if applicable
• Note of Issue (UD-9)
• Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law (UD-10)
• Proposed Judgment of Divorce (UD-11)
• Request for Judicial Intervention (UD-13)

This is the packet where most clerk rejections happen. Every form must be internally consistent — names, dates, index numbers, and financial figures must match exactly across all documents.

Common Commencement and Calendaring Mistakes

Filing the RJI too early: Submitting the remaining packet before the 40-day default period or before getting the defendant's consent.

Omitting the index number on subsequent filings: Every document filed after commencement must include the index number and filing date.

Requesting relief in the RJI packet that wasn't in the original Summons: The Plaintiff's Affidavit (UD-6) can only include relief that was listed on the initial Summons with Notice. If you forgot to include spousal maintenance on the Summons, you can't add it later without amending the original filing.

Wrong financial cap figures: The statutory maintenance and child support income caps are adjusted every two years. Using the wrong year's figures in the worksheets triggers rejection. For 2026, the maintenance cap is $241,000 and the child support cap is $193,000.

The New York Divorce Filing Process Guide provides the complete filing sequence from index number through RJI, with a cross-form consistency checklist that catches the mismatches clerks reject most often.

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