ex parte divorce

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An ex parte divorce is a divorce that is granted within a jurisdiction where only one of the spouses is validly domiciled. It is valid even if one spouse never resided within the jurisdiction where the divorce was granted or subject to personal jurisdiction. The spouse that files for an ex parte divorce must first satisfy certain residency requirements. Although the laws governing divorce differ slightly from state to state, generally speaking, the spouse must have resided in the state or county where the spouse intends to file for a certain amount of time.

[Last updated in November of 2022 by the Wex Definitions Team]