Learn About Uncontested Divorce Cases in Arizona.

What is an Uncontested Divorce in Arizona?

A divorce in Arizona that has been completely resolved by an agreement between the parties is referred to as an “uncontested divorce.”

You or your spouse must be a resident of Arizona for 90 days before you can file your uncontested divorce in Maricopa County Arizona.

The easiest and least expensive way to obtain an uncontested divorce in Arizona is to reach an agreement regarding all issues, including:

  • Custody of your children;
  • Child Support;
  • Division of your property;
  • Division of your debt;
  • Spousal maintenance, if any;

There are two ways to handle the divorce process in an uncontested divorce in Arizona; specifically, by Consent Decree or Default Decree.

The safest way to handle an uncontested divorce is for one spouse to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and other divorce forms and to pay his or her filing fees.

The other spouse then files a Response to the divorce petition.

The parties then draft and sign a Marital Settlement Agreement and your judge signs a final decree.

The Agreement will outline all of the financial arrangements.

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Parties will submit a separate Parenting Plan containing the parenting time arrangements if the parties have minor children outlining their agreements relating to the children.

Lastly, they will submit at Consent Decree for Dissolution of Marriage.

Many issues should be addressed in these documents, so it is best to consult with an attorney to assist in drafting these final settlement papers.

Arizona has what is referred to as conciliation statutes that permit either party to a divorce to temporarily freeze the case to allow the court to appoint a therapist through the court to provide marital counseling to the parties.

Both sides have 60 days from the date the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage was served on the other party to invoke these conciliation provisions.

As a result, neither party may file the settlement paperwork until at least 60 days have passed from the date the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage was served on the other party.

You may sign all of the settlement paperwork before that 60 day period has run, but you cannot file the settlement paperwork with the court until the 60 day waiting period has expired.

Once submitted, the judge will typically sign the final decree within two weeks.

Neither party needs to appear in court before a judge if a Consent Decree for Dissolution of Marriage is accepted and approved by the Court.

Uncontested Divorce Through the Default Process

A court may issue a Default Decree of Dissolution of Marriage when the person who is served with the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is served but fails to file a Response to Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

Upon filing an Affidavit and Application for Default and an additional short waiting period, the court may proceed with signing the final consent decree without any further notice to the person served with the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage.

The non-defaulted party will then call Court Administration and request the scheduling of a default hearing.

The person filing for divorce attends that hearing and presents a Default Divorce Decree to the court outlining:

  • What child custody orders are to be issued by the court;
  • What parenting time arrangement orders are to be issued by the court;
  • How much child support is to be ordered;
  • How all the assets are to be divided;
  • How all the debts are to be divided;
  • How much, if any, spousal maintenance is to be ordered;
  • How much, if any, attorney fees should be reimbursed by the other spouse;

Although this process requires less paperwork, it is also fraught with very serious problems.

Although your spouse may promise to submit a Default Decree that complies with agreements reached between the parties, a spouse could easily submit an entirely different Default Decree that the defaulted party may be very unhappy about.

Changing from an Uncontested Divorce to a Contested Divorce In Arizona

As you may imagine, a divorce can change from an uncontested divorce in Arizona to a contested divorce if the parties do not agree on all of the issues.

These contested cases still benefit from resolving as many issues as possible; thereby simplifying the number of problems that are contested.

A person involved in a contested case will need to file a Response to Petition for Dissolution of marriage and consider ways to resolve those disputed issues.

Your options in dealing with disputed issues are to attempt to work through those disagreements through compromise or attend a formal mediation with an experienced Arizona divorce mediator.

Not all contested issues have to be resolved by a trial judge.

However, if the issues are still not resolved through mediation, you may have to take your case to trial.

You may have continuing legal obligations as a result of being married, such as payment of debts and other loans.

Arizona law also prohibits you from getting remarried until the judge signs your final divorce decree and files that divorce decree with the clerk of the court.

We have seen situations occur when a judge issues his or her final ruling in Minute Entry form and a spouse runs off and immediately remarries.

That second marriage is void because a Minute Entry is not a signed Divorce Decree.

A divorce is a very formal process.

To protect the parties’ interests in a fair trial and resolution of the issues in the case, many procedural rules and forms need to be complied with correctly.

Although we explain all of the processes and procedures with each of our clients at the beginning of the case, we then inform them we are here to walk them through each process one step at a time.

How to Find the Right Attorney for Your Uncontested Divorce

An experienced and knowledgeable divorce attorney can make all the difference in how your case is handled and the outcome of that case.

If you cannot afford an attorney, the law in Arizona allows you to represent yourself.

However, neither the judge nor his or her assistants can give you any legal advice and are required to hold you to the same standards as a practicing attorney.

You will be required to know the statutes, appellate decisions, and rules of procedure that apply to your case.

Not understanding the complexities of the law or procedure could result in dire consequences to your case.

A judge in Arizona is not permitted to appoint an attorney on your behalf, so finding the right lawyer you can afford is critical to your case.

There are times, for example, when a person representing themselves will hire our law firm to provide them with essential information and guidance to navigate the divorce case on their own.

If you have questions about uncontested divorce in Arizona, you should seriously consider contacting the attorneys at Hildebrand Law, PC. Our Arizona divorce and family law attorneys have over 100 years of combined experience successfully representing clients in divorce and family law cases.

Our family law firm has earned numerous awards such as US News and World Reports Best Arizona Family Law Firm, US News and World Report Best Divorce Attorneys, “Best of the Valley” by Arizona Foothills readers, and “Best Arizona Divorce Law Firms” by North Scottsdale Magazine.

Call us today at (480)305-8300 or reach out to us through our appointment scheduling form to schedule your personalized consultation and turn your divorce or family law case around today.

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