How long do you need to be separated before a divorce in Arizona?

The state of Arizona does not require anyone to be separated before they file for a divorce. If a person is no longer happy in their marriage and they feel that their marriage is irretrievably broken, they can begin the divorce process. Any person can file a petition for a divorce at any moment they would like. Although Arizona does not require individuals to be separated before filing for divorce, the state does require a 60 day “cooling off” period as part of the divorce process.

So if I don’t need to be separated before a divorce, why do I have to wait 60 days for my Arizona divorce to be finalized? What is the Court’s “cooling off” period?

Arizona requires sixty (60) days, referred to as a “cooling off” period, from the date of service before a divorce can be finalized. There are two purposes for the cooling off period. First, it is designed to allow sufficient time for the spouse seeking a divorce to be sure they actually want to get divorced.  Secondly, the waiting period allows the spouses to negotiate the terms of their divorce. It is essentially designed to prevent people from “rushing” into divorce and/or agreements regarding divorce.