Arizona Divorce Process

Below, you will find the Arizona divorce process explained in great detail. If you have any questions about the process that are not answered here, feel free to contact us with questions. In addition to this, we also have a PowerPoint presentation on Arizona divorce here, on Slideshare.

The Arizona Divorce Process Simplified

File a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage with the Court. The first spouse to file is named the PETITIONER, the other is named the RESPONDENT.

The divorce case is opened, the Court assigns a case number and Judge.

The Respondent must be served with the divorce paperwork within 120 days after the Petition is filed. Service can be completed either by them accepting service, or being served by process server or certified mail. If the parties have children, they must each attend the mandatory Parent Information Program Class within 45 days from the date Respondent is served and then file proof of attendance with the Court.

Proof of service filed with the Court.

If you & your spouse are in agreement regarding the divorce, you are divorcing by consent and the Respondent does not need to file a Response to your Divorce Petition (but the Response filing fee must still be paid to the Court.)

A Consent Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, containing all agreements regarding your divorce must be drafted and submitted to your assigned Judge. The Consent Decree cannot be submitted until 60 days after the Respondent was served/accepted service.

The Judge has an additional 60 days to sign off on the Consent Decree. The day the Judge signs the Consent Decree is the day you are divorced.

If your spouse does not respond to your Divorce Petition within the allowed time and you do not have an agreement regarding the divorce, you are divorcing via default.

If the Respondent was served in AZ and does not file a Response within 20 days (if served outside of AZ they have 30 days to file a Response), you must file an Application for Default with the Court and mail a copy of the Application to the Respondent. The Court then gives the Respondent 10 additional business days to file a Response.

If the Respondent files a Response within the 10 additional business days, you have a contested divorce (see to the right). If the Respondent does not file a Response within the time limit, you can request a Default Hearing 64 days after the Respondent was originally served.

At the default hearing, you will appear before a Court Commissioner. Bring a proposed Default Decree of Dissolution of Marriage. If your case involves children, bring your Parent Information Program certificate (if it hasn’t already been filed with the Court), a proposed Parenting Plan, completed Child Support Worksheet, proof of income and expenses for the children, and a proposed Child Support Order. The Commissioner will ask you questions, review your proposed documents and finalize your divorce.

If the Respondent files a Response to your Divorce Petition within 20 days (if served within AZ) or 30 days (if served outside AZ) and disagrees with your Divorce Petition, you have a contested divorce.

If neither party is represented by an attorney, the Court will schedule an Early Resolution Conference (ERC) that both parties must attend. If either party or both parties are represented by attorneys the Court will schedule a Resolution Management Conference (RMC) which all parties must attend. The purpose of each of these conferences is to make the Court aware of any agreements reached and areas of disagreement so that the Court can schedule services, such as mediation, and set a Trial date.

If you and your spouse reach full agreement at any point prior to Trial, see the divorce by consent process to the far left. If you are unable to reach agreements see below.

Prior to Trial, you and your spouse will be required to exchange documents containing information required by Rule 49 ARFLP. Then you will each submit documents to the Court you feel should be presented as evidence during Trial. At the Trial, each spouse will have the opportunity to offer evidence & testimony which the Judge will consider when making decisions regarding each contested area of the divorce. Judges typically take the matters presented at Trial under advisement and issue a final ruling, called a Decree of Dissolution of Marriage, within 60 days after the Trial.

Ready to get your AZ divorce started?

Get Started!

Affordable Arizona Divorce

5.0

Jennie Crunk

03:31 23 Jun 18

Michael goerge helped me and his assistant god bless I've been going through cancer over and over and I was married to Robert Crunk since my daughter passed he and I was only together for two months it's been almost seventeen years glad it's over thank you he was very concerned and caring no doubt so was his associate I do appreciate how I was treatedread more

Sara Noble

06:36 24 Apr 18

Amazing service at extremely reasonable prices. Jessica is very prompt and easy to work with.

Tramaine Traylor

16:42 09 Apr 18

Awesome Service! Jessica answered all of my questions quickly and showed interest and concern with what I was dealing with until the case was closed! Rarely do you get this kind of service at such affordable rates!read more

Virgilio Pamintuan

19:47 12 Feb 18

I couldn't thank this Team for helping me out in ensuring that my divorce would be worry and hassle free. They are dream to work with and would be all Out to help you in any questions or concerns regarding your divorce. Divorce can be a pain and very expensive if you asked help to the wrong people. Luckily I was able find them and sure enough they were there to help. I would to thank your Team for helping me and I am very grateful. Michael has been very helpful and kind. Jessica is a dream. She made sure to have guided me all the way and has updated me without any miss on the status of the divorce. She is friendly, nice and knows her craft. We need more people like them who are genuinely out there and not only after your money. Again, thank you so much and all the best. Regards, Virgilioread more

Surya Simha

04:44 21 Jan 18

Jessica and team services are outstanding and awesome. She made every thing very easy and explained every step in detail in the process. She did follow up on the dates very promptly and kept the client up to date on the progress of the case.Very hard worker and organized. Thank you. You truly deserve 5 star rating for your services.read more

Thomas Pitman

21:55 16 Jan 18

Jessica made my divorce process completely seamless. She always got back to my emails the same day and they were very thorough. I would have been entirely lost had I not used this service. I had no hiccups. Literally all I had to do was provide her with all of the information and then show up to court to sign the final papers. Couldn't have made this stressful process any easier. Very professional and understanding.read more

Daniel Carlson

07:52 29 Dec 17

Jessica and each member her team were very easy to work with. They took the time to thoroughly answer each question I had and explained each part of the process so everything was clear. In addition they were affordable as their name suggests, and they did a wonderful job of making a stressful situation less stressful. I would recommend them to everyone going through a divorce.read more

James Lopez

20:53 19 Dec 17

Jessica's service has been outstanding as she took care of all the difficult parts of going through a divorce. She always responded promptly and kept my soon to be ex-wife and me updated through out every step of the process. Thank you, Jessica!read more

nick zagami

17:19 27 Nov 17

After looking around and finding lawyers to be so expensive for this process (what a surprise).. I found Micheal and Jessica. 5 Stars and an affordable price!?.. Lets call.. They took care of EVERYTHING! I couldn't even believe how easy they made it for us! They knew the answer to every question and answered it lightning fast! We met Once, signed some papers and they took care of all the rest! in the 60 day Arizona manditory wait time we were divorced!!!! Easy as Pie! In fact it was so easy I would do it again! 😉 THANK YOU GUYS!read more

Megan Clyne

16:20 16 Nov 17

I found Jessica and her services by searching online and reading reviews. All of them are TRUE! Jessica was great to work with - she answered all my questions and help me from beginning to end in my divorce. I couldn't have done it without her! Thank you Jessica!!read more

Laurie Tallio

04:23 06 Oct 17

If I could rate Jessica with 500 stars I would. She’s, compassionate, professional and timely, and as her business name suggests, affordable. I’m so impressed and so very grateful.read more

David Anderson

22:11 01 Sep 17

Jessica and team made a very difficult situation so much easier and as stress-free as it could possibly be. They handle everything for you, and are professional, responsive, quick and most importantly... They really understand the entire process and are able to explain things in simple terms about what happens at each milestone. Also, the documents they produce are extremely well done. WAY better than anything you would be able to produce off the self-help kits that leave you wide open with loopholes or overlooked clarity that is required by the courts. Do yourself a favor... Let people that know all the legalese and understand this process handle the paperwork for you. You will not be soooo glad you did. You never even have to deal with the court... I can highly recommend Jessica and the Affordable Arizona Divorce team!read more

Blair Allen

22:06 24 Aug 17

Jessica and her team were quick and very professional. They got the paperwork done in a timely fashion and I loved that they filed all of the papers for me so that I didn't have to go to court at all. They did a good job and know the court system very well. Well worth your time and the rates are very reasonable.read more

Seth C.

16:42 21 Aug 17

Jessica made this entire process as easy as possible for us. Her services are worth every penny. What I appreciated most was how fast she responded to my emails, and there were a few. Her responses were always friendly and helpful. Thanks, Jessica! You're the best!read more

Sarabeth Gidley

00:10 25 Jul 17

Going through a divorce is not easy, but my now ex-husband and I agreed it was the right thing to do and wanted to make it as painless as possible. Jessica was exactly what we were looking for, we met once and she took care of the rest keeping us updated on what we needed to do and where we were in the process. I will definitely use her for her other services and have referred her to friends.read more

becky scott

20:05 26 Jun 17

Jessica & the rest of the team at Affordable Arizona Divorce are awesome & provide top notch customer service! Quick turn around time on paperwork & quick response to emails & phone calls. Having Affordable Arizona Divorce complete & file all of the paperwork for my divorce made the process quick, easy & as painless as a divorce can be. Highly recommended! Well worth the money! You won't be sorry!read more

SAFE House

17:21 23 May 17

Jessica was beyond helpful. She made a very difficult time in our lives so much easier. Fast and affordable. I had to start my life over in a new state with my son, which was very expensive, so not having to spend thousands and thousands in lawyer fees made the transition that much easier. She always made a point to respond quickly, called and emailed me to keep me updated, and explained the entire process until I understood everything fully. Thank you for taking the time to make this painful part of my life so much easier. Always thankful for you!read more

See All Reviews