You can file for divorce online in Arizona through the state’s eFileAZ platform, which handles family law cases in all 15 counties. The online system covers the filing itself, but the case still requires a 90-day Arizona residency, formal service on your spouse, and a 60-day minimum wait before a judge can sign the final decree. For an uncontested divorce, the process can run almost entirely from your computer. A contested case cannot.
Who Can 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 qualify under the same window.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 is that the marriage is “irretrievably broken.” If both spouses say so, or if one says so and the other does not deny it, the court accepts the finding. If the other spouse disputes it, the judge holds a hearing on whether reconciliation is possible before ruling.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-316 – Irretrievable Breakdown; Finding
One boundary worth checking first: covenant marriages are different. If you entered one, the no-fault standard does not apply and you have to prove one of eight specific grounds, including adultery, abandonment of at least one year, abuse, habitual substance abuse, a felony conviction with a prison sentence, two years of continuous separation, or both spouses’ 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 in. Your marriage license will say.
What to Gather Before You Log In
The e-filing system rejects incomplete submissions, so pulling your information together first saves real time. The court requires a Sensitive Data Form, kept confidential in the case file, that includes 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 The petition itself asks for the exact date and place of your marriage.
On the financial side, inventory 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 is the basis for dividing the marital estate, and mistakes stay with you after the decree.
If you have minor children, you will also need a Parenting Plan covering legal decision-making, parenting time, and dispute resolution, plus a Child Support Worksheet. Arizona courts provide a free online calculator for the worksheet, and the full set of forms, including the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and the Summons, is on the Arizona Judicial Branch website.5Arizona Judicial Branch. Dissolution of Marriage with Children
Parents of minor children must also complete a Parent Education Program. The Arizona Supreme Court sets minimum standards, but cost, format, and whether an online option exists vary by county. Check locally and start early. Courts will not finalize a decree until the certificate is on file, and some county programs have waiting lists.6Arizona Judicial Branch. Parent Education Program
How the Online Filing Works
eFileAZ is the primary platform for family law filings and supports both new cases and later documents in every Arizona county as of April 2026.7Arizona Judicial Branch. Superior Court eFiling Availability AZTurboCourt is also offered, but it is designed primarily for civil cases and may not support family law in your county. It does provide a guided question-and-answer interview that fills in court-approved forms, which can help self-represented filers. Before you rely on it, confirm with your county clerk that family law submissions go through that platform.8AZ Court Help. AZTurboCourt Process Overview
The mechanics are simple: upload the completed petition, sensitive data form, and supporting documents, apply electronic signatures, and pay the filing fee. Once the system accepts the submission, you receive electronic confirmation that the court has opened your case file.
Filing Fees
The state 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 itself adds a $6.50 transaction fee for a new case plus a 3% payment processing surcharge.11Arizona Judicial Branch. eFiling Fee Schedule
Arizona offers both fee waivers and deferrals. A full waiver is available if your gross income is below 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 a good-cause showing above that. You apply by submitting a fee waiver and deferral application with proof of income or benefits.12AZ Court Help. Fee, Waiver, and Deferral Information
The Injunction That Takes Effect the Moment You File
Filing triggers an automatic preliminary injunction against you immediately. It binds your spouse once they are served or otherwise learn of 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 Both spouses are prohibited 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 living in Arizona out of the state without the other spouse’s written consent or a court order.
- Dropping the other spouse or children from existing medical, dental, auto, or disability insurance.
Violations can bring contempt charges or criminal prosecution. This applies as fully to the person who filed as to the person served.13Arizona Legislature. Arizona Code 25-315 – Preliminary Injunction; Effect
Serving Your Spouse
Filing opens the case; it does not notify your spouse. The case cannot move forward until your spouse is served under Rule 41 of the Arizona Rules of Family Law Procedure.14New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 41 – Service Within and Outside Arizona You cannot serve the papers yourself. Your options:
- Acceptance of service, where your spouse voluntarily signs an Acceptance form in front of a notary or court clerk. This is the fastest and cheapest route when both parties cooperate.
- Mail with restricted delivery through USPS or a national courier such as UPS or FedEx, where only your spouse can sign for the papers. You then file an affidavit of service with the signed receipt.
- Personal delivery by a registered process server, a sheriff’s deputy, or any adult over 18 who is not a party to the case.
- Service by publication, if you genuinely cannot locate your spouse after diligent efforts. The notice runs in a local newspaper once a week for four consecutive weeks, and service is complete 30 days after the first publication.
Proof of service must be filed with the court before the case can proceed.
What Happens After Service
A respondent served inside Arizona has 20 days to file a formal response. A respondent served outside Arizona has 30 days.15New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Rule 24.1 – Time for Filing and Serving a Response to a Petition If nothing is filed, you can submit an Application and Affidavit of Default and mail a copy to your spouse. That triggers one more 10-day grace period. If your spouse still does not respond, the case moves toward default judgment.16AZ Court Help. Default Process for Divorce
Regardless of what the respondent does, 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 The clock runs from service, not from filing, and there is no way to waive or shorten it. For a simple uncontested case with no children, the realistic timeline from filing to signed decree is three to four months, with judge review alone taking 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
Consent Decree
If you and your spouse agree on everything, including property division, debt allocation, spousal maintenance, and parenting arrangements, you can submit a Consent Decree. Both parties sign in front of a notary 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 also attach a Parenting Plan, Child Support Worksheet, Child Support Order, and Employer Information Sheet. The judge reviews the paperwork and, if satisfied, signs without requiring a court appearance.
Default Decree
If your spouse was properly served and never responded, you can request a default decree after both the response deadline and the 10-day grace period have expired. Arizona Rule of Family Law Procedure 44.1 allows default decrees without a hearing in many family cases, provided the petition was not served by publication and the decree includes nothing beyond what the petition requested.18Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County. Instructions and Procedures for a Default Decree by Motion Without Hearing Cases involving children generally still require a hearing.
Contested Divorce
If the spouses disagree on significant terms, the case moves through disclosure, negotiation, and possibly a trial. A contested divorce cannot be completed entirely online. You will attend conferences, mediation, and potentially an evidentiary hearing, and the timeline often stretches to a year or more.
Mistakes That Break the Online Timeline
Sloppy service is the most frequent delay. Mail without restricted delivery, or any method outside Rule 41, will not be recognized, and the 60-day clock never starts. Another trap is the preliminary injunction: closing joint accounts or removing a spouse from health insurance before the decree is final can draw contempt proceedings that derail everything.
Do not assume 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 If you have children, enroll in the Parent Education Program at the beginning, not the end, because the court will not sign your decree without the completion certificate on file.