Arizona Instructions - Acceptance of Court Papers for Dissolution of Marriage

You will want to file a response whether or not you agree with what is written in the divorce papers. Your deadline to file the response is 20 days after you were served (30 days if you were served outside of Arizona). If you agree with everything in the divorce papers, you may file a consent decree .

Answer only. An "Answer" tells the judge and your spouse what parts of the complaint you agree with and disagree with. Answer with a Counterclaim.

Fill out divorce forms. File the documents with the county clerk in your jurisdiction. Serve Forms/ Respond to forms. File proof of service with the court clerk. Comply with Disclosure and Discovery Rules. Wait 60 days after serving the other party. Day in Court/Legal Proceedings.

Proof of Personal Service (Form FL-330): This form confirms that the response to divorce petition was filed with the court and served on the other spouse. Alternatively, the respondent can also serve them by mail, in which case they will need to complete and file the form for Proof of Service by Mail (FL-335).

If the time for you to file a written response has passed, your spouse must complete an Application and Affidavit for Entry of Default and send you a copy of that. You will have 10 more court days from the date the application was filed with the Clerk of Superior Court in which to file your written response.

The Court can grant a divorce order, even if the spouse refuses to sign any documents.Otherwise, the spouse may ask the Court to appear by telephone. While a spouse can refuse to sign the divorce papers, it is highly likely that the divorce will still take place. However, some situations could delay the divorce.

In fact, if your spouse does file the Response, he or she will be forced to pay a $435 response fee, which is in addition to the $435 fee charged when the divorce was filed.

There is a time limit for filing the Response. Court rules provide that the Response must be filed with- in 20 days of the date that the Summons and Petition are served on the Respondent, or within 30 days if service is made on the Respondent outside the state.