I WANT A DIVORCE — NOW WHAT?

Going through a divorce can be one of the most difficult times in a person’s life. Making the decision to dissolve your marriage (file for divorce) can be emotionally taxing, especially if there are children involved. The end of a marriage can also be a confusing situation. Your divorce can include asset protection, child custody, and support issues, spousal maintenance, domestic violence, or drug use/abuse. The attorneys at Gary J. Frank P.C. can make it easier for you and your children to go through the divorce process. We represent clients in both contested and uncontested divorce, with children or without children.

The following is some general information about marriage, and the general steps that need to be taken when filing for a divorce.

Covenant vs. Non-covenant

Arizona is a “no-fault” state, meaning that neither party needs to show blame or responsibility for the divorce. This is referred to as a “Non-Covenant” Marriage, and a marriage will be considered a non-covenant marriage unless the parties specify that they are entering into a “Covenant Marriage.” The only question that needs to be answered in a divorce of a Non-Covenant Marriage is whether the marriage is “irretrievably broken” or that there is no chance of the parties reconciling.

A Covenant Marriage is different in that the parties must have the intent to enter into this type of marriage, which should be declared on their application for a marriage license. A Covenant Marriage is also different than a Non-Covenant Marriage because, in order for the parties to a divorce, someone must be at “fault.” This is important because, in a Covenant Marriage, a state court cannot grant your divorce without a reason. This can include adultery, felony, habitual drug or alcohol use, or if both parties agree to a divorce.

How to File for Divorce in Arizona

• Residency Requirement

In order for a person to file for divorce in Arizona, one or both spouses must have lived in Arizona for at least 90 days. This includes spouses that are members of the Armed Forces and have been stationed in Arizona for at least 90 days.

• Fill out your forms

In order to initiate your divorce in Arizona, the spouse filing for divorce (the petitioner) will need to file a “Petition for Dissolution of Marriage” with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county the party resides. The Petition asks the court to grant the parties’ divorce, while also entering other orders such as the separation of marital community property, the identification of the sole and separate property, and if there are children involved, legal decision making, and parenting time orders. This is only the start of the divorce process, and the requests in your petition are usually not considered until evidence and testimony are presented at a trial or evidentiary hearing.

• Service of Process

Once you file your Petition for Dissolution, you will need to serve the other party (your spouse) with a copy of your documents, which include the Petition, the Summons, and the Preliminary Injunction, and other required documents. There are several methods of service, but the most common are arranging service with a private process server, or having the other party sign an Acceptance of Service, acknowledging that he/she has received the divorce paperwork. The signed Acceptance of Service must then be filed with the clerk of court.

Once the Petition is filed, you have 120 days from the date of filing to serve the other party. If the party is not served within that time frame, your case will be dismissed. Once your spouse is served, he/she will have 20 days to file their Response to your Petition (or 30 days if served out of state). If your spouse is served and fails to file a Response within the applicable time period, then you can apply for a “default judgment.”

• 60-Day waiting period

The parties (you and your spouse) will have to wait for at least 60-days before the Court will enter into any orders. This is otherwise known as the “cooling-off” period. This cooling-off period begins when your spouse is served. For example, even if you and your spouse have agreed on all issues in the divorce and submit a Decree, the Court will not sign it or enter any orders until the 60-day period has lapsed.

• Decree of Dissolution

The order that finalizes the divorce is called a Decree of Dissolution. This will outline all of the terms of the divorce, including division of property and parenting issues, and each party will be returned to single status. The terms of a Decree of Dissolution can be ordered by the Court after a final trial, or the parties can negotiate their own agreement and submit a Consent Decree of Dissolution of Marriage to the judge for approval. If the parties submit a Consent Decree, and the judge approves and signs it, then they may be able to obtain a final divorce without ever stepping foot in a courtroom.

by Hanna Juncaj

The Law Firm of Gary Frank P.C. is an Arizona Family Law firm that has been a fixture in the prestigious Biltmore area of Phoenix, Arizona for over thirty years. Our attorneys, Gary Frank and Hanna Juncaj are strong litigators, highly-skilled mediators, and compassionate counselors. We handle divorce and spousal maintenance cases, as well as legal decision-making, parenting time, child support, relocation/move-away, Paternity, Grandparents’ rights and Non-Parents’ rights cases, modification actions, enforcement actions, and all other matters related to Family Law. If you are in need of a consultation, attorneys Gary and Hanna would love to talk to you. Please call us today.  You can reach our office at 602-922-9989, or you can contact us by email through our website. To learn more about our firm, take a look at our website at www.famlawaz.com. We’d be happy to help you.