You’d like to get divorced from your spouse, but you’re nowhere near the place where you got married. Maybe you grew up in another state entirely, and you later moved to Pennsylvania with your spouse.
What you’re wondering is if you can even get a divorce in your new home. Or do you have to go back to the state where you got married, file for divorce in the court system in that state, and then make trips back and forth until the whole thing gets resolved? After all, states have very different marriage and divorce laws, so it makes sense that you would wonder if the jurisdiction made a difference.
You can get divorced in any state
Fortunately, you’re not bound by the laws in the state where you got married. You don’t have to return there to get divorced.
However, that does mean that you will be subject to the divorce laws that you’re currently under in Pennsylvania. Even if you consider them to be favorable in the state where you got married, you don’t get to use those laws when the divorce happens elsewhere.
You also have to meet the residency requirements. Many states require you to live there for a certain amount of time before you can file for a divorce. In Pennsylvania, the requirements state that you need to be married and living in the state for six months.
Understanding divorce
If you have any questions about divorce, it is very important to understand as much as you can about the legal process.