Your spouse is entitled to notification of pending legal action against them, but that gets tricky when you’ve been separated for a long time and may not know how to locate your spouse.
It may be more productive to try to track down old friends, your spouse’s relatives, or others whose whereabouts are known, rather than focusing solely on finding one person who may not want you to find them.
If these pursuits turn into dead ends, you can still divorce in Queens, using a method known as publication divorce. You’ll have to show the court that you’ve engaged in a thorough search and looked through known databases, the internet, and more.
When the judge is convinced that you’ve done due diligence, you’ll be allowed to use the paper of record in your spouse’s last known home to publish your summons.
If they fail to respond, the court will proceed with a default divorce.
The attorneys at Zelenitz, Shapiro & D’Agostino have the resources to assist your search, and if your spouse simply can’t be located, make sure the court understands the scope of your efforts to comply.
Call us today at 718-523-1111 for a free consultation with experienced Queens divorce lawyers.