David Arquette has cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind wishing to end the couple's 12 year marriage.
The paperwork that Arquette filed on Friday indicates that he intends to represent himself.
The 40-year-old actor is travelling overseas and had a bar mitzvah ceremony at Jerusalem's Western Wall on Monday.
Arquette and Cox have a seven-year-old daughter and the actor is seeking joint custody. The pair met on the set of the film Scream in 1996 and married three years later.
They announced their separation in October 2010, but Arquette's filing lists the separation date as December 31, 2011. It does not include any other details, but indicates Arquette signed the documents on March 23.
"We remain best friends and responsible parents to our daughter and we still love each other deeply," the former couple wrote in a statement released after their separation.
Cox gained widespread fame for her role on the TV comedy Friends and currently stars in ABC's Cougar Town.
Arquette is an executive producer of that show and has appeared in numerous films, including Never Been Kissed and 3000 Miles to Graceland.
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