Waiting Period

Under Arizona law, you must wait sixty (60) days from the date of service (i.e., the date the party who didn’t file the divorce is formally served with the paperwork) before the divorce can be completed. This is implemented by the Legislature as a matter of public policy to ensure individuals don’t get divorced on a whim. If the parties have come to an agreement (and have not filed a Summary Consent Decree), they can put those agreements into writing in the form of a Consent Decree and can lodge it with the Court on the 61st day. If you used a Summary Consent Decree, the first day the Court can sign it is that 61st day after service occurred. More realisitically, it will be 2-3 weeks after the 60 days has elapsed before Court will sign, file, and distribute the Consent Decree.