To obtain a divorce in Arizona, one or both parties must have resided in Arizona for at least three months and follow the all State laws (Title 25 Chapter 3). Separation for at least a year is a prerequisite for divorce in this state, unless a spouse is guilty of adultery or he or she has been imprisoned. If both spouses are in general agreement about the terms of the divorce, the entire process can generally be completed within three months of the start.

Instructions on How to File For Divorce in Arizona

The process of divorcing in Arizona starts with obtaining a packet of forms from the state. More than half of these forms are concerned with the minor children of divorce, which you won’t need to concern yourself with if the marriage was childless. The remainder must be completed by the filing spouse, and presented to the Superior Court Clerk’s Office for your county. In Arizona, the fee for filing these forms varies by county. A receipt for this payment will be needed later in the process.

You are also required to make sure your spouse receives a copy of each of these forms, as well as the Acceptance of Service form, which, when he or she fills it out and signs it, proves that your spouse did receive the copies of the other forms. It, too, then must be filed with the Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

If you and your spouse are the parents of minor children, three additional forms called the Order of Assignment, Parents Worksheet for Children, and, finally, the Parenting Plan for Joint Custody form must all be filled out. In addition, both you and your spouse will have to take an approved child education class with a month and a half of filing those forms. You can obtain a listing of approved courses at the Superior Court Clerk’s Office. Upon completion of the course, you will be issued a Certificate of Completion form, which you must return, again to the Superior Court Clerk’s Office.

Among the last steps is the requirement that you and your spouse must sign what’s called the Consent Decree of Dissolution of Marriage in front of a notary public. After that, in Arizona there is a minimum wait of 64 days for a court hearing. Generally, you will be notified of the hearing date at this time; if not, you’ll get written notice by mail. Then at the hearing, if all the forms were filled out properly and there are no further issues, the judge will issue a Divorce Decree, and the process is thus completed.