Q: How can I serve my spouse divorce papers if he is homeless? His last known address is in TX, he is currently in MN.
He told me to send the papers to his mother's address in TX, however, he is currently in MN with no place to stay.
A: You may qualify for a divorce by publication if his location is truly unknown. However, with a divorce by publication the court is limited on the issues they can decide and often will be prohibited from making determinations on issues such as child support and equitable division if there is no personal service of the defendant.
A: If you know that he's in MN and you have been in any contact with him, you can arrange a meeting and then have him served by private process server. If you are unable to arrange a meeting or obtain a location for service, you can attempt service by publication. There are steps you have to follow in order to petition the court to serve by publication and obtain an order to do so. I would speak with an attorney who may be able to charge you a reduced rate for such a case, as it is likely this will not be contested.
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