How To Place An Ad For Divorce When You Can't Find Your Spouse

Blog

If you file for divorce, you hope things run smoothly, and you want matters to stay private. However, your spouse could decide to skip town without notification to avoid the petition. In this case, you have the option of placing an ad for divorce in your local newspaper, often called divorce by publication. Here's how to place an ad for divorce in a newspaper.

Make Every Effort to Locate Your Spouse

In many states, you must make every effort to locate your spouse before placing a divorce ad. Some methods you can use to find your spouse include

  • criminal records
  • voter registrations
  • military locator websites
  • utility companies
  • the Federal Bureau of Prisons
  • hospitals
  • motor vehicle records
  • homeless shelters

Check your spouse's last known address, and make a list of all the places you contact, including former employers and relatives. Consider hiring a private detective for assistance. Once you have exhausted all avenues of locating them, file a declaration with the court clerk. If you succeed in finding your spouse, you will not qualify for divorce by publication.

File Motion for Publication of Divorce

File a motion with the court clerk to get permission for publication of divorce, which usually includes an affidavit ,or sworn statement, telling the judge of your efforts. Explain in writing to the judge why your spouse cannot be served the papers, and include any responses from your spouse, information anyone refused to provide, documents, or undeliverable mail.

The judge will approve or deny the motion for publication based on your research through mail or a court hearing. If the request gets denied, it should include an explanation on what you need to do. File the motion again after you fulfill the requirements.

Publish the Notice

Find out from the clerk which newspapers are allowed for publication of divorce notices, and if you have to post a notice at the courthouse. Create your ad based on information in the divorce papers, and place the ad in a local or state newspaper where you think your spouse is. Ask the newspaper staff for assistance in creating the ad, if needed.

Placing an ad in a national newspaper is another option, but it will give the case more exposure. The ads usually need to run a certain time period, so your spouse has time to respond. Some newspapers send affidavits saying the notice has been published the required number of times.

If your efforts fail, talk to a divorce lawyer like Myers Law Firm LLC.

Share

23 November 2015

divorce - tips for fathers fighting for custody

Divorce is never an easy situation. For fathers, it can be even more stressful because it is more difficult to obtain custody of the kids. Having gone through a divorce myself, I learned quite a bit about the additional steps that fathers should go through to ensure that they have a fair chance at gaining custody of the kids. My site is filled with the tips and advice that I received from my lawyer and other fathers that have gone through the same thing. Hopefully, what you learn on my site will help you achieve the outcome that you hope for.