In New Jersey, I’m frequently asked as a New Jersey Divorce Attorney, “What can I do if I want to divorce my spouse but I haven’t seen my spouse in a long time and don’t know where my spouse lives? Can I still get a divorce?” The answer is yes, you can. You have to make a good faith attempt to locate the spouse. That generally means using the last known address and the Social Security number and date of birth to do a search to try and find that spouse.
If you are unable to locate the spouse through a postal search, a motor vehicles search, or a skip trace, the court will allow you to file a motion, which will then grant you the right of having the divorce complaint published in a local newspaper. That would serve as adequate service of the complaint on that particular spouse, and you would be able to then move forward in getting a divorce.
Are you wanting a divorce, but unable to locate your spouse to file? Contact experienced New Jersey Divorce Attorney Brian Freeman for strong legal help.
This informational blog post was brought to you by Brian Freeman, an experienced New Jersey Divorce Lawyer.