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Many Arizonans are from somewhere else, including many immigrants. Some of whom married in their homeland and moved here and now want to get divorced here. Some of whom may have divorced in another country before moving here. And, in some cases, one spouse moved here, and one remained behind.
We often get three questions regarding international law and divorce:
Is my divorce from another country valid in Arizona?
Most likely, Arizona will recognize your divorce from another country. Arizona courts follow a principle called “comity,” which is to accept the judicial acts of another country as a sign of respect. But there is a limitation—Arizona will not recognize an international divorce if that divorce deprived one of the spouses of “due process.” What that means is simply this: Did both spouses have notice of the proceedings (i.e., did they both know the divorce was occurring), and did they both have a chance to respond?
If I got married in another country, can I get divorced here?
Yes. Arizona can divorce you even if you were married in another country. You still must meet the jurisdictional requirements for divorce, which are as follows:
If my spouse lives in another country, can I get divorced here?
Yes, as long as you have lived here for at least 90 days, Arizona can divorce you. But to decide issues with the children, Arizona needs to be the place where the children have lived for six consecutive months most recently. To divide property and award support, the Court needs personal jurisdiction over your spouse (this means your spouse needs to have a sufficient enough connection to Arizona for Arizona to exercise jurisdiction over your spouse). Arizona can “bifurcate” the divorce—that is, handle the parts of the case for which it has jurisdiction and let the appropriate jurisdiction deal with the remaining issues.
If you choose to get divorced Arizona, you must serve the other spouse. If they are living in a country that is a part of the Hague Convention, then you’ll need to serve in accordance with how that country has set up its procedures. For example, to serve someone living in Mexico, the petition and summons must translated into English, you must fill out Request for Service Abroad, send the original English version and the translated Spanish version to the Mexican Central Authority.
Any issue or question I have has always been answered. I am super grateful to Jillian because I feel like I have someone by my side 100% of the time.
Throughout this entire process, everyone at the firm treated me with the courtesy and respect that you would extend a lifelong friend, and for that humble gesture I shall remain forever grateful . . .
The best at what they do! Im so impressed by the knowledge Stephen has off the top of his head. The whole crew is amazing . Would highly recommend them.
I've never met such a passionate, organized, and responsive group of attorneys. Family law matters can be emotionally and legally challenging but this group stands out as the place to go to get great help
The team that works here is professional, timely, and has your best interests at the root of every decision. They work tirelessly and have an amazing array of experience to act on your behalf..., they’d always be my choice!
Highly recommend this firm for family law disputes. The efforts that they put forth to a case are some of the best that you can get, but they also know how to really work with a client and make it feel like a team atmosphere
I know some of the lead attorneys at State 48 Law Firm, and have complete faith and trust in their knowledge and professionalism. I would trust them implicitly, with my own legal needs.
Excellent team of attorneys. Everyone has a wealth of experience and a great depth of legal knowledge. I would highly recommend this firm to anyone.
I can't recommend State 48 Law Firm enough. They have a great team of experienced attorneys, although I highly recommend Bryce Johnson! He has a wealth of family law knowledge and will fight for you.
I've known and worked with State 48 attorney Bryce Johnson for several years and know him to be a considerate and tactful attorney who fights tooth and nail for his clients. I would recommend State 48 for your family law needs!
Everyone at State 48 Law Firm is great! Jillian Hansen will take the time to educate you about the process while showing empathy for the situation.
State 48 Law includes a very experienced team of lawyers who will work tirelessly for you. I would recommend their team, and specifically Bryce Johnson, to anyone.
During one of the most difficult periods in your life, it is imperative to find a lawyer and a law firm, who can look after your interests.
I’ve worked with this Team before & can’t say enough about their professionalism & constant communication. Highly recommend State48 for anything family law.
My attorney takes her time, is very responsive, and shows that she does care. You don’t usually find that compassion in a lawyer. I can’t thank her enough for helping us through our case and I highly recommended her!
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