“Ghosting” is a phenomenon that occurs when someone you know just suddenly vanishes or refuses to respond to your communications without a given reason. When it happens between a married couple, the action of the spouse, who “ghosted” you, is committing spousal abandonment in the State of Arizona.
You do not want to stay in the marriage but may feel like you do not know where to turn after discovering you must serve divorce papers. The reassuring news is that you have options.
In this post, the legal team at DeShon Laraye Pullen PLC describes an overview of spousal abandonment divorce proceedings in Arizona and the steps you can take to serve your petition. While the information presented below is general, you can speak with an Arizona divorce lawyer for situation-specific advice.
Establishing the Grounds for Divorce
Arizona courts require you to provide a valid reason for seeking a divorce from your partner. Fortunately, we are a no-fault divorce state, which means that you do not need to plead your case beyond the marriage being irretrievably broken.
Therefore, spousal abandonment is reason enough for filing a dissolution of marriage. You must also wait out at least one year after abandonment before submitting your application.
The Arizona Divorce Process When You Cannot Locate Your Spouse
Even though you cannot locate your spouse, you must still follow the typical divorce procedure by filing in the Superior Court in your county of residence.
In most divorce cases, including spousal abandonment, there are three necessary steps to follow:
- File your petition for a Dissolution of Marriage in your residential county
- Serve the petition in a manner consistent with an unlocatable spouse
- Attend court hearings to pursue a Decree of the Dissolution of Marriage
As you can see, it is a straightforward process for any divorce. However, when the action involves children, it becomes a more complex procedure.
It is helpful to talk with an Arizona divorce lawyer for this situation. He or she can help you make decisions that are in the best interest of your minor dependents.
Serving Divorce Papers to an Unlocatable Spouse
Serving divorce papers in Arizona must occur even when you cannot find your spouse. Typically, most divorces serve documents by mail or hand-deliver them via a process server. In the case of an unlocatable spouse, you will use a substituted methodology.
With that said, you must first exhaust every opportunity to reasonably locate him or her before using a substituted service. This concept gives rise to hiring a process server to “skip trace” him or her.
Skip tracing is a method of using a person’s personal information compared against state, federal, and individual credit databases. If the process server uncovers your estranged spouse’s location, then service resumes as usual.
However, if he or she is still unlocatable, then you will serve your spouse via publication. Service by publication occurs where you post the petition in locally distributed newspapers. An Arizona divorce lawyer can help you execute this aspect properly.
Contact an Arizona Divorce Lawyer at DeShon Laraye Pullen PLC for an Initial Consultation
Dealing with divorce is upsetting enough without adding abandonment to your injury. You do not have to face this situation alone.
At DeShon Laraye Pullen PLC, we understand the impact that this situation has on your life. Our team of Arizona divorce lawyers is here to help you at every critical point of the divorce process.
You can schedule an initial consultation with our team of legal professionals by calling 602-252-1968 or completing our contact request form.
