American divorce from a Foreign Wedding

Re: American divorce from a Foreign Wedding


No!

Your sister should consult a divorce lawyer and he can advice her
how to proceed.

Thanks but so far no lawyer she's asked has had any good news for her, mainly because she does not have a address! Some lawyer actually told her she would never be able to get free of this guy BECAUSE she didn't know where he was.

Well, if your sister was married for 2 month only, she could get an annulment on grounds of abandonment. She has to start procedures
through an attorney here in the United States.

In case of a divorce, most states have a no-fault divorce law, and she
can file papers in her state, giving the court all information of her
absent husband.He does not have to be present in order for her to
start proceedings. She may have to post the dissolution of her marriage
in the newspaper for a few weeks, in case her husband would see it
and object, but a divorce is granted after that.

Even if she married abroad, she can divorce in the U.S. (most states) if she has live here for the last year or more. It varies from state to state, and she'll most likely need a lawyer. You could look up probate family courts, often they have people to advise on cases like your sister's.

does she at least know a country? most U.S. states have bilateral agreements with most countries and if she files, the authorities in whichever country he's in will start searching for him. She just has to start.

There are provisions in the divorce laws of every state for getting a divorce when one of the spouses can not be found. It usually takes longer and costs more but there is a process...

What state is your sister a legal resident of Tumi?

answer to fishin
She's been living in The District of Columbia for the past two years. They were married in West Africa

Seems like all he wanted was a green card. He may well be in the U.S. I think fishin gave a good advice on filing for divorce on the basis of a vanished husband. Certainly contacting the U.S. authorities, perhaps even police (?) would be the first step.

Thanx will pass this info on
I'll be sure to pass this on. I think this just might be the right direction for her to travel in. Its been many years and she has never heard anything from him. She left his country and unless he got ahold of another gullible US lady I doubt if he ever made it here. They never even got him a visa card for him to even come to see this country. I personally think he saw a young Ameican female with what he thought to be a large wallet and assumed there was more at home! Too bad so sad she only had savings to see another side of the world.

As a prayer for her that she can find a good lawyer..Thanks again

If you think up anything else please keep typing
LUv, Lil' Sis

One party must serve a summons and complaint for divorce on the other party. When the other party's whereabouts are unknown, service may be accomplished by publication.

http://www.dcbar.org/for_the_public/legal_information/family/family_court_forms/index.cfm