Do you want a divorce but you can’t locate your spouse? If you don’t know where your spouse is to have them served with divorce papers, you have other options. The court offers two main options: alternative service and service by publication.

Alternative Service

You will want to use this option if you have had recent contact with your spouse. If you are able to communicate with them via text, email, or social media, you can ask the court to use alternative service to serve them. This means they will be served via text, email, or social media. Fees can increase as much as $400 when using this method.

Service by Publication

If you have not had any contact with your spouse, you cannot use the previous method to serve them. Since you have no contact with your spouse, you will need to serve them by publication. There are various steps involved in this process. In the end, you will actually publish the divorce paperwork in a legal newspaper in Maricopa County. Fees can increase as much as $600-$900 when serving by publication.

Need More Help?

This process can be confusing since you are unsure where your spouse is. Although it is challenging, you do not need to worry. We help clients every week with serving their spouse by publication and alternative service. Contact us today and let the team at Affordable Family Law help you.