How do I begin my Arizona divorce case?\u00a0 Once my case is filed, what are the next steps in the process?\u00a0 How and when will my divorce become final?<\/p>\n
These are common questions I receive from my clients who are considering divorce or who are just getting started.\u00a0 To answer these questions\u00a0for a broader audience, I will be writing a series of blog posts over the coming weeks outlining Arizona divorce procedure on a step-by-step basis.<\/p>\n
This post is intended to provide only\u00a0an outline or overview of the steps required\u00a0to take an Arizona divorce case from start to finish.\u00a0\u00a0My subsequent posts will each focus on one step in detail, starting at the beginning and continuing\u00a0until I have covered the entire process.\u00a0 As a primer for this series, I would suggest reading my “Divorce 101” and “Seven Deadly Sins” articles, which can be accessed by clicking on the Articles button on my website’s home page.<\/p>\n
This series will omit any discussion of attempted reconciliation or pre-filing planning and preparation.\u00a0 Again, please see the “Seven Deadly Sins” article for a discussion of these topics.\u00a0 This series will\u00a0likewise not<\/em>\u00a0address post-divorce filings, including appeals.\u00a0 Instead, this series will focus on\u00a0the step-by-step process of obtaining a divorce in Arizona, beginning with filing a divorce case and\u00a0ending with entry of a divorce decree by a judge.<\/p>\n Below is a simplified list of the procedural steps to obtain a divorce in Arizona.\u00a0 As I will explain and develop in upcoming posts, a couple of the following steps may not be required in every<\/em> case, but they are necessary in many cases and will therefore be included in this series.\u00a0 Here are the basic steps involved in taking\u00a0 an Arizona divorce case from start to finish:<\/p>\n 1.\u00a0 Filing\u00a0a petition for dissolution of marriage\u00a0with the court;<\/p>\n 2.\u00a0 Serving a copy of the petition on the opposing party;<\/p>\n 3.\u00a0 Finalizing the divorce in the event of a default (failure of the opposing party to appear and defend);<\/p>\n 4.\u00a0 Obtaining temporary orders;<\/p>\n 5.\u00a0 Gathering necessary information (“discovery”);<\/p>\n 6.\u00a0 Attempting to reach a settlement out of court;<\/p>\n 7.\u00a0 Obtaining a court\/trial date;<\/p>\n 8.\u00a0 Preparing the case for trial;<\/p>\n 9.\u00a0 Trying the case in court; and<\/p>\n 10.\u00a0 Entry of final decree of dissolution of marriage.<\/p>\n If you would like to learn more about Arizona divorce case procedure,\u00a0stay tuned\u00a0over the next several weeks as I cover this important subject.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2012 by Scoresby Family Law \u2013 J. Kyle Scoresby, P.C. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n You can also watch my divorce overview video below.<\/p>\n