05.31.07

Dominican Republic Divorces – The “Quickie” Divorce

Posted in Divorce Law, Family Law at 5:15 am by Administrator

Today’s Times of London has an interesting article on “quickie” divorces. Specifically, the writer describes how she was able to obtain a ”quickie” divorce by traveling to the Dominican Republic. For those who are not aware, it is possible to obtain a divorce in 24 hours in the Dominican Republic.

Every U.S. state imposes a residency requirement on divorcing couples. Thus, it is not possible to get divorced in 24 hours in the U.S. since every state requires at least one party to a divorce to have been a resident of the state for a set amount of time.

These residency requirements vary by state (with states such as Nevada and Arizona imposing some of the shortest residency requirements). It is for this reason that couples – often famous couples - who are in a rush to get divorced sometimes travel to the Dominican Republic.

A word of warning: you need to check with a lawyer in your state to confirm that your Dominican divorce will be recognized in the U.S.. As you can see from the comments in the article, a lawyer in the U.K. is questioning whether the writer’s divorce is valid in England. Aside from wasting money on travel for an invalid divorce, there is also the risk of bigamy (which is a felony in many jurisdictions) if a person erroneously believes they are divorced and remarries.

The Mwangi Law Office specializes in family and business law, including Massachusetts divorce law.

Advertising. In accordance with rules established by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts. This web site must be labeled “advertising.” It is designed to provide general information for clients and friends of the firm and should not be construed as legal advice, or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. This web site is designed for general information only. Unless and until you enter into a formal agreement with Attorney Mwangi, he is not your attorney and you do not have an attorney-client relationship with him. All Rights Reserved.

Permalink