- Residency before filing
- 90 days[2]
Key facts: divorce in Arizona
| Waiting period | 60 days[1] details ↓ |
|---|---|
| Residency requirement | 90 days[2] details ↓ |
| No-fault divorce | Yes[2] details ↓ |
| Property division | Community property (divided equitably)[3] details ↓ |
Statutes and court rules as checked October 26, 2026. Not legal advice.
What are the divorce laws in Arizona?
Not legal advice. These are plain-English summaries of Arizona’s statutes and court rules as of the date shown on each; they can change and courts apply them case by case. Read the linked source or ask a lawyer licensed in Arizona.
Waiting period
60 days
The court cannot hold a hearing or trial, or consider a motion and affidavit, for a divorce decree until 60 days after the other spouse is served or accepts service.[1]
A.R.S. § 25-329 · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“The court shall not consider a submission of a motion supported by affidavit or hold a trial or hearing on an application for a decree of dissolution of marriage or legal separation until sixty days after the date of service of process or the date of acceptance of process.”
Residency requirement
90 days
One spouse must have been domiciled in Arizona, or stationed there with the armed services, for 90 days before the petition is filed.[2]
A.R.S. § 25-312(A)(1) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“one of the parties, at the time the action was commenced, was domiciled in this state or was stationed in this state while a member of the armed services and that in either case the domicile or military presence has been maintained for ninety days before filing the petition”
No-fault divorce
Yes, fault grounds also exist
Arizona grants a divorce when the marriage is irretrievably broken; couples in a covenant marriage must instead prove one of the specific grounds in A.R.S. § 25-903.[2]
A.R.S. § 25-312(A)(3)-(4) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“3. The marriage is irretrievably broken. 4. If the marriage is a covenant marriage, any of the grounds prescribed in section 25-903.”
Property division
Community property (divided equitably)
Each spouse keeps their separate property, and the court divides community and jointly held property equitably, though not necessarily in kind, without regard to marital misconduct.[3]
Community property in Arizona: the statute quoted →
A.R.S. § 25-318(A) · checked October 26, 2026
Show statute text
“the court shall also divide the community, joint tenancy and other property held in common equitably, though not necessarily in kind, without regard to marital misconduct.”
Court mediation for custody
Not yet verified
Start with this official source.
Court mediation fees
Not yet verified
Start with Child Support and Family Law (Arizona Judicial Branch Self-Service Center).
Filing fee
Not yet verified
Start with this official source.
Alimony
Set by an official guideline formula
Arizona law requires courts to follow the Arizona Supreme Court’s Spousal Maintenance Guidelines, which produce an amount range and a duration range, unless the court finds in writing that they would be inappropriate or unjust.
Divorce rate
2.1 per 1,000 residents (2024)
Arizona’s courts granted 2.1 divorces per 1,000 residents in 2024, down from 4.6 in 2000; the U.S. rate was 2.3. In the Census Bureau’s 2024 survey, 7.0 of every 1,000 women 15 and older in Arizona divorced in the past year (±1.1; U.S. 6.9), a different measure.[5][6]
Divorce rates by state, with sources → · CDC/NCHS NVSS; Census ACS · checked October 27, 2026
Estimate your divorce cost in Arizona: mediation vs. court →
How child support is calculated in Arizona →
Official help: Child Support and Family Law (Arizona Judicial Branch Self-Service Center)
Mediators per 100,000: MediationList listings from official court and government rosters in Arizona (35) ÷ population (7,582,384, U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county population estimates (July 1, 2024)) × 100,000, the same figure as mediator statistics.[4]
Questions about divorce in Arizona
How long does a divorce take in Arizona?
The law sets the minimum, not the total: The court cannot hold a hearing or trial, or consider a motion and affidavit, for a divorce decree until 60 days after the other spouse is served or accepts service. How long it takes after that depends on whether you agree and on the court's calendar. — A.R.S. § 25-329[1]
How long do you have to live in Arizona to file for divorce?
One spouse must have been domiciled in Arizona, or stationed there with the armed services, for 90 days before the petition is filed. — A.R.S. § 25-312(A)(1)[2]
Is Arizona a no-fault divorce state?
Arizona grants a divorce when the marriage is irretrievably broken; couples in a covenant marriage must instead prove one of the specific grounds in A.R.S. § 25-903. — A.R.S. § 25-312(A)(3)-(4)[2]
Is Arizona a community property state?
Yes. Each spouse keeps their separate property, and the court divides community and jointly held property equitably, though not necessarily in kind, without regard to marital misconduct. — A.R.S. § 25-318(A)[3]
More
Compare nearby states
Sources
Arizona’s statutes and court rules, read on the official site, plus federal statistics; each with the date we checked it.
- A.R.S. § 25-329 (Arizona Legislature)↩
- A.R.S. § 25-312(A)(1) (Arizona Legislature)↩
- A.R.S. § 25-318(A) (Arizona Legislature)↩
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 county and state population estimates (July 1, 2024)↩
- CDC/NCHS, National Vital Statistics System: Divorce rates by State: 1990, 1995, and 2000-2024↩
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDT1Y2024.B12503↩