Q: How do I get a divorce if I have no contact with the person I'm married to?
As a stupid young girl, I eloped with a guy as a rebelious move against my mom. He was here on a student Visa. He was from Turkey. We were together two short weeks before both families flipped out. Realizing it was a stupid move we went our seperate ways never speaking again. All these years was out of sight out of mind. Now I'm married and need to divorce him. I heard shortly after he returned to Turkey. How can I divorce him if I have no contact with him or anyone he knows?
A:
I'm not sure what elopment means legally as I've never encountered anyone who did it. If you got married to the Turkish student, then your current marriage is bigamous and, thus, invalid. If it you are seeking a divorce from the Turkish student, then it leads me to think you did get married.
Getting a divorce in California is actually not complicated that much by the fact that you've had no contact with the other spouse. You need to make some effort to find him in Turkey. Look up "service by publication" to see what options are available. I have done it before for spouses who went home to Mexico. It can be quite expensive, depending on whether newspaper ads are required.
Andy
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
