You can file for divorce online in Arizona through the statewide eFileAZ portal, provided at least one spouse has lived in the state for 90 days before filing.1Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-312 The system works best when the case is uncontested and the marriage is a standard (non-covenant) one. Filing fees run roughly $321 to $376 depending on the county, and a 60-day waiting period starts the day after your spouse is served before a judge can sign the decree.
Who Can File Online
Residency is the first gate. Arizona requires one spouse to have been domiciled in the state for at least 90 days before the petition is filed. Domiciled means physically present and treating Arizona as home, not passing through. Without that, the court has no jurisdiction and the filing will be rejected.
Online filing fits cleanly when both spouses agree the marriage is irretrievably broken and have already worked out property, debts, and any custody and support arrangements. That agreement lets the court treat the case as uncontested, and the matter can move forward without a trial.
Covenant marriages are different, and the online path is more limited for them. Instead of simply declaring the marriage broken, you have to prove specific grounds: adultery, a felony conviction, abandonment of at least one year, domestic violence or substance abuse, or continuous separation for at least two years.2Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-903 Mutual consent is also an option, but on its own it does not meet the standard uncontested requirements. These cases typically need more documentation and often a hearing.
What to Prepare Before You Log In
The petition is the central document. Arizona law requires it to include each spouse’s date of birth, occupation, and address, the date and place of the marriage, and whether the marriage is a covenant marriage.3Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-314 You also list community and separate property, outstanding debts, and your preferences for custody and support if minor children are involved.
Beyond the petition, the Arizona Judicial Branch publishes a packet of required forms that varies based on whether you have children. A typical filing includes the Summons, the Preliminary Injunction, a Sensitive Data Cover Sheet, and the petition itself.4Arizona Judicial Branch. Dissolution of Marriage With Children Generic versions live on the Judicial Branch website, but individual counties sometimes prefer their own, so check your county clerk’s site before you upload anything.
If you have children, gather the numbers for the child support calculator before you start: both parents’ incomes, health insurance costs for the children, the parenting-time schedule, and any spousal maintenance paid or received from this or any other relationship.5Arizona Judicial Branch. About the Child Support Calculator Having them ready keeps you from stalling halfway through the forms.
Submitting Through eFileAZ
eFileAZ is the state’s electronic filing portal, and anyone can register an account and upload completed documents.6Arizona Judicial Branch. State of Arizona E-Filing Portal Maricopa County, which processes the largest share of family cases in Arizona, confirms that family law case-initiating documents can be filed online through this system.7Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court. Family Filing In some counties, the online tools act more as guided form-preparation. You answer questions, the system assembles the correct forms, and you print and deliver them with your filing fee.
Fees vary. Maricopa County charges $376 for a petition for dissolution of marriage.8Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court. Filing Fees Pinal County charges $321.9Pinal County COSC, AZ. Filing Fees Credit card payments usually carry a convenience fee on top. Once your payment clears, you get an email confirmation with a timestamp and case number.
Fee Waivers and Deferrals
If the fee is beyond reach, you can apply for a deferral or a full waiver. You automatically qualify for a deferral if you receive Supplemental Security Income, TANF, or food stamps, and also if your gross monthly income is at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level.10Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 12 Section 12-302 For 2026, that is $1,995 per month for a single person or $4,125 for a family of four. If your income is a little above those thresholds, extraordinary expenses such as medical bills or caring for a disabled family member can still bring you within range. A full waiver, rather than a deferral, requires showing you are permanently unable to pay.
The Injunction That Starts the Moment You File
Many filers miss this, and it matters right away. The instant you file your petition, a preliminary injunction automatically takes effect against you. Once your spouse is served, it binds them too.11Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-315 Both spouses are prohibited from:
- Selling, hiding, transferring, or borrowing against community or joint property outside normal household expenses and court fees.
- Canceling or removing the other spouse from existing health, dental, auto, or disability insurance.
- Taking minor children out of Arizona without the other parent’s written consent or a court order.
- Harassing, threatening, or committing violence against the other spouse or any children of the marriage.
Violating the injunction can lead to contempt findings and even criminal charges. It stays in place until the divorce is finalized or dismissed. A health insurance notice must also go to your spouse alongside the petition so the dependent spouse knows how to preserve coverage after the decree.
Serving Your Spouse
Filing is not service. After the court accepts your documents, you still have to formally deliver them. The easiest route is having your spouse sign an Acceptance of Service form, which costs nothing. If they will not cooperate, you can use a private process server or the county sheriff. Process servers typically charge between $85 and $175 for routine service, more for rush or hard-to-find individuals.
Your spouse’s response deadline depends on where they live. In Arizona, served in person or by acceptance, they have 20 days. Out of state, 30 days.12AZ Court Help. Default Timetable for Filing for Divorce in Arizona Superior Court
Service by Publication
If you genuinely cannot find your spouse, the court can authorize service by newspaper publication, but only after you show real effort. That means checking last known addresses, contacting friends and family, searching social media, checking jail and prison records, and mailing copies to the last known address even if you expect them back. Internet searches and emails on their own are not enough.
If publication is approved, the response window stretches to 50 days for a spouse in Arizona and 60 days for one out of state.12AZ Court Help. Default Timetable for Filing for Divorce in Arizona Superior Court One tradeoff: when you serve by publication, the court may lack personal jurisdiction over the absent spouse and may not be able to issue orders on property or support.
If Your Spouse Does Not Respond
Once the response deadline passes with nothing filed, you can apply for a default. For in-state personal service, that is the 21st day after service. For out-of-state service, the 31st day.12AZ Court Help. Default Timetable for Filing for Divorce in Arizona Superior Court If the deadline lands on a weekend or court holiday, your spouse gets until the next business day, and you can apply the day after.
Default does not finish the divorce on its own. The 60-day waiting period still runs, and the judge still reviews the proposed terms for reasonableness, especially anything involving children. In practice, though, the court will usually adopt the terms in your petition without opposition.
The 60-Day Wait and the Final Decree
Arizona requires a 60-day cooling-off period after service or acceptance of service. The court cannot hold a hearing or accept a consent decree until those 60 days have passed.13Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-329 The clock starts the day after service, not the day you filed. In a fully uncontested case, both spouses can sign a consent decree spelling out every agreed term, and submit it for the judge’s signature as soon as the waiting period ends.
If the judge has questions, or if the case involves children and the proposed arrangements need a closer look, a brief hearing may be scheduled. One or both spouses testify that the marriage is irretrievably broken. Once the judge signs, the marriage is dissolved and the obligations in the decree take effect.
Parent Education If You Have Children
If minor children are involved, both parents will be ordered to complete a court-approved education program on how divorce affects children. The requirement comes from statute and applies to every dissolution, legal separation, or custody case involving minors.14Arizona Legislature. Arizona Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-351 Each county runs its own version, and most have an online option.15Arizona Judicial Branch. Parent Education Program
In Maricopa County, both parents have to finish the class within 45 days of service of the petition, and the provider files the completion certificate directly with the court. Missing that deadline can hold up your case, so handle it early rather than saving it for the end.