How To Divorce An Overseas Spouse

Completing the necessary process of filing for divorce can be difficult when your spouse is currently out of state because of their military service. When you need to serve your spouse with divorce papers, it can seem impossible when they are so far away. Thankfully, there is a way to ensure that you successfully file for divorce, regardless of your spouse’s distance.

At The Law Offices of Stephen R. Piper, LLC, you can find the legal representation you need to get through the challenges of a military divorce. I am attorney Stephen R. Piper, and I offer my clients decades of experience that can serve to their advantage in a divorce. I am ready to help you with any of the unique needs that you may have.

The Challenges Of Serving Papers Overseas

When your spouse is in another country as a nonmilitary member, the local divorce laws may be an issue, but this is not the case for military members. A military divorce relies solely on U.S. divorce laws, regardless of where the serving spouse is stationed.

While it is possible to serve divorce papers to an active military member, there may be some variations from the typical process. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) allows military members to delay the divorce process by up to 90 days if they are currently deployed.

Serving the papers to the deployed spouse may be a challenge. If the spouse is in an active war zone or is otherwise unreachable, it can delay the time it takes for them to receive the papers, if they ever receive them at all. Because of that, they may not be able to respond to the divorce until they are done with their current tour.

Spouses In Other States Or Countries

In many situations, a spouse may not be overseas, but simply in another country in North or South America, as well as other states throughout the U.S. This is a common situation that I see with both military servicemembers as well as military spouses. The case will be filed in the state of primary residence of the petitioner in the U.S. and the respondent will be served with the paperwork for the divorce wherever they are currently stationed. I am here to help clients not only deal with overseas divorces, but domestic and regional divorces as well.

Choose An Attorney Who Can Help

When you are looking to navigate your way through a military divorce, choose a New Jersey attorney who knows the unique challenges of the process. Call my Moorestown firm, The Law Offices of Stephen R. Piper, LLC, at 856-333-3586 or click this link to schedule your initial consultation. I serve clients throughout New Jersey and Philadelphia. I am ready to help you with your military divorce needs.