You can file for divorce online in Arizona through the state’s eFileAZ platform, which now handles family law cases in all 15 counties. You still need to meet the 90-day residency requirement, serve your spouse using an approved method, and wait out a mandatory 60-day cooling-off period before a judge can sign the decree. Most uncontested filings run start to finish digitally, though a few steps like notarizing signatures and arranging service of process will pull you away from the screen.
Who Qualifies to File in Arizona
At least one spouse must have lived in Arizona for 90 days before the petition is filed. Military members stationed in the state count, as long as they have kept that presence for the same 90 days.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-312 – Dissolution of Marriage; Findings Necessary You do not need to have married in Arizona, and your spouse does not need to live here.
Arizona is a no-fault state. The only legal ground you need is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken.” If both spouses say so, or one says so and the other does not deny it, the court accepts the finding. If the other spouse disagrees, the judge holds a hearing on whether reconciliation is possible before ruling.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-316 – Irretrievable Breakdown; Finding
One boundary to check: if you entered a covenant marriage, the no-fault rule does not apply and you must prove one of eight specific grounds, including adultery, abandonment for a year, abuse, habitual substance abuse, a two-year separation, or mutual agreement to dissolve.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-903 – Dissolution of a Covenant Marriage; Grounds Covenant marriages require a specific declaration and premarital counseling, so you would know if you opted into one. Your marriage license will confirm it.
What to Gather Before You Log In
Preparing your information before opening the e-filing system prevents rejected submissions. The court requires a Sensitive Data Form, which stays confidential in the case file but asks for full legal names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license numbers for both spouses.4Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Sensitive Data Coversheet Without Children You also need the exact date and location of your marriage for the petition.
Build an inventory of everything acquired during the marriage: real estate, bank accounts, retirement accounts, vehicles. Do the same for debts, including the mortgage, car loans, and credit cards. That inventory drives the division of the marital estate, and mistakes here can follow you long after the decree.
If you have minor children, add a Parenting Plan covering legal decision-making, parenting time, and dispute resolution, plus a Child Support Worksheet generated through Arizona’s free online calculator. The standard forms, including the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and the Summons, live on the Arizona Judicial Branch website.5Arizona Judicial Branch. Dissolution of Marriage with Children
Parents of minor children must also complete the state’s Parent Education Program. The Arizona Supreme Court sets minimum standards, but cost, format, and whether an online option is offered vary by county. Check your county’s local instructions early, because some programs have waiting lists and the court will not sign the decree until the completion certificate is on file.6Arizona Judicial Branch. Parent Education Program
How the Online Filing Works
Arizona’s primary e-filing platform for family law is eFileAZ. As of April 2026, every Arizona county accepts electronic family law filings through it, both for new cases and later documents.7Arizona Judicial Branch. Superior Court eFiling Availability The courts also offer AZTurboCourt, which uses a guided question-and-answer interview to populate court-approved forms. AZTurboCourt is primarily built for civil cases, and family law support varies by county, so confirm with your county clerk before relying on it.8AZ Court Help. AZTurboCourt Process Overview
The mechanics are straightforward. Upload your completed petition, sensitive data form, and supporting documents. Apply electronic signatures where required. Pay the filing fee. Once the system accepts your submission, you get an electronic confirmation that serves as proof the court has opened your case file.
Filing Fees
The state-level base fee for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is $261.9Arizona Judicial Branch. Superior Court Filing Fees Counties add surcharges on top. In Maricopa County, the total is $376.10Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court. Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court – Filing Fees The e-filing system charges a $6.50 transaction fee for new case submissions plus a 3% payment processing surcharge.11Arizona Judicial Branch. eFiling Fee Schedule
If you cannot afford the fees, Arizona offers waivers and deferrals. A full waiver is available if your gross income is under 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if you receive SSI, TANF cash assistance, or SNAP. A deferral or payment plan may be approved for income between 150% and 225% of the guidelines, or on good cause above that. You apply by submitting a fee waiver and deferral application with proof of income or assistance.12AZ Court Help. Fee, Waiver, and Deferral Information
The Automatic Order That Kicks In When You File
The moment you file, a preliminary injunction automatically takes effect against you. It takes effect against your spouse once they are served or otherwise learn about it, whichever comes first, and it stays in place until the divorce is final or the case is dismissed.13Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-315 – Preliminary Injunction; Effect People routinely trip over this because it applies to the filer, not just the other side.
The injunction bars both spouses from:
- Selling, hiding, transferring, or disposing of joint or community property, except for normal living expenses, ordinary business transactions, and court fees.
- Molesting, harassing, or assaulting the other spouse or any children of the marriage.
- Taking any children who live in Arizona out of the state without the other spouse’s written consent or a court order.
- Dropping the other spouse or children from any existing medical, dental, auto, or disability insurance.
Violating the injunction can lead to contempt of court and even criminal prosecution. Closing a joint account or removing a spouse from health insurance right after filing is a common way people derail their own case.13Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-315 – Preliminary Injunction; Effect
Serving Your Spouse
Filing online opens the case. It does not move the case forward. Nothing happens until your spouse is officially served with the paperwork, and you cannot serve them yourself. Arizona Rule 41 authorizes four methods.14New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 41 – Service Within and Outside Arizona
- Acceptance of service. Your spouse voluntarily signs an Acceptance of Service form before a notary public or court clerk. Cheapest and fastest when both parties cooperate.
- Mail with restricted delivery. USPS or a national courier delivers the papers with restricted delivery, so only your spouse can sign. You then file an affidavit of service with the signed receipt.
- Personal delivery. A registered process server, sheriff’s deputy, or any person over 18 who is not a party hands the documents to your spouse.
- Service by publication. If you genuinely cannot locate your spouse after diligent effort, the court may allow you to publish notice in a local newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks. Service is complete 30 days after the first publication.
Proof of service must be filed with the court before the case can proceed. Sloppy service, especially plain mail without restricted delivery, is the most common reason a divorce stalls.
Response Deadlines and Default
Once served, your spouse has 20 days to file a response if served within Arizona, and 30 days if served outside the state.15New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 24.1 – Time for Filing and Serving a Response to a Petition
If they miss that window, you file an Application and Affidavit of Default and mail a copy to your spouse. That triggers one final 10-day grace period. If they still do not respond, the case moves toward default judgment.16AZ Court Help. Default Process for Divorce
For cases without minor children, you can often finalize a default decree by mail without appearing in court, submitting the completed decree to the judge’s chambers. Cases with children usually require a default hearing. Either way, the final decree cannot include any terms that were not in the original petition, because the other party is entitled to notice of everything being decided.16AZ Court Help. Default Process for Divorce
The 60-Day Waiting Period
No matter how fast your spouse responds, a judge cannot sign the final decree until at least 60 days after service of process is complete.17Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes 25-329 – Waiting Period There is no waiver. The clock runs from the date your spouse was served, not from the date you filed.
For a simple uncontested divorce without children, the timeline usually looks like this: file the petition, serve your spouse within a few days, wait 60 days, then submit the consent decree. The judge’s review itself can take four to six weeks in busier counties like Maricopa.18Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Instructions and Procedures for a Default Decree by Motion Without Hearing Realistically, even a fully agreed divorce runs three to four months from filing to decree.
How the Divorce Finalizes
The endgame depends on whether you and your spouse agree.
Consent Decree
When both spouses agree on everything, including property, debts, spousal maintenance, and parenting, they submit a Consent Decree. Both must sign before a notary public or court clerk with photo ID.19Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Consent Decree for Divorce or Legal Separation for a Non-Covenant Marriage with Children With children, you attach the Parenting Plan, Child Support Worksheet, Child Support Order, and Employer Information Sheet. The judge reviews the paperwork and, if satisfied, signs without requiring anyone to appear.
Default Decree
If your spouse was properly served but never responded, you can request a default decree after the response deadline and the 10-day grace period both expire. Arizona Rule of Family Law Procedure 44.1 allows default decrees without a hearing in many cases, provided the petition was not served by publication and the decree does not go beyond what the petition requested.18Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Instructions and Procedures for a Default Decree by Motion Without Hearing Cases with children usually require a hearing even in default.
Contested Divorce
When spouses disagree on significant terms, the case moves through disclosure, negotiation, and possibly trial. A contested divorce cannot be completed entirely online. You will attend conferences, mediation, and potentially an evidentiary hearing. The timeline can easily stretch to a year or more.
Mistakes That Break the Online Process
The most frequent delay is bad service. Plain mail without restricted delivery, or any method not authorized under Rule 41, is not recognized, and the 60-day clock never starts.
The second is violating the preliminary injunction by closing joint accounts, moving assets, or removing a spouse from insurance before the decree is final. That opens contempt proceedings and can undo months of progress.
The third is assuming AZTurboCourt handles family law in every county. Confirm your county’s e-filing options on the Arizona Judicial Branch website before you start.20Arizona Judicial Branch. eFiling Information in Arizona And if you have children, register for the Parent Education Program early. Courts will not finalize the decree until the certificate is on file.