Legal Question in Family Law in Arizona

Am I divorced?

I was married in the state of Az almost 20 years ago, left my husband more than 10 years ago, was informed that he obtained a divorce without my being present. I have recently met a man that marriage is a future possibility with and would like to know how to ascertain if I am indeed divorced. I now reside in Ohio though I am certain the divorce would have been filed in Az. Without knowing dates, or even the county with any certainty, how do I go about gathering this information?


Asked on 8/15/01, 12:29 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Monica Donaldson Stewart Donaldson Stewart, P.C.

Re: Am I divorced?

It sounds like you are asking whether your first husband obtained a divorce by "default" (without your participation). You can find out whether such a case was filed/completed by going to the Maricopa County superior court website (if you lived in Maricopa County): www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov. There is a section for court cases and you can check by name. If there is a case matching your name (or husband's name), it will appear on the screen. By clicking on that case, a list of documents will appear. If you are divorced, the list will indicate that a decree of some kind was filed in the court. A divorce is final the day a decree is signed.

If you were not divorced, you can file in the state where you legally reside, or the state where husband legally resides. In AZ, the minimum amount of time for a divorce is 64 days from filing (assuming a default or full agreements).

If you would like to discuss this further, please feel free to contact me.

/s/ Monica H. Donaldson, Esq.

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Answered on 8/16/01, 12:26 am


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