When a person files a petition for divorce, called a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in Illinois, he or she must serve his or her spouse with the divorce petition. This sometimes involves one spouse simply handing the paperwork to the other spouse or it may be accomplished through a process server or other qualified third party. However, there are some circumstances where serving a spouse a divorce petition may be nearly impossible. When a spouse cannot be located, you will need to take special steps in order to be granted a divorce.

Attempting to Find a Missing Spouse

If you want to file for divorce but you do not know where your spouse is, you may be able to serve notice of the divorce through the newspaper. If the spouse still does not respond, you may be able to obtain a divorce without his or her participation. However, before either of those things happen, you will need to make a genuine effort to locate your spouse. You will also need to list all of the attempts you have made to find your spouse in an affidavit and file it with the court. It is recommended that you take at least the following steps to locate your spouse:

Mediation is a process that encourages couples to amicably work through the details of their divorce, such as the division of assets, allocation of parental responsibilities, and alimony. But how, exactly, does the mediation process work? And is it the right option for your divorce?

How Mediation Works

When couples decide to mediate their divorce, they work through their divorce with a mediator, instead of a judge. Details of their divorce are negotiated rather than litigated. An impartial party, the mediator can only make suggestions for working through a particular problem. They cannot make any decisions. However, each party does still have the right to hire an attorney to ensure their rights are protected, and that they have considered all relative factors in the negotiation process.

All divorce cases begin the same way-one side files a petition for the dissolution of marriage with the court. However, sometimes the divorce never makes it any further along in the process because of a problem with the marriage or the petition. Moreover, issues may cause the court to dismiss the petition at the very start of the process.

Lack of Jurisdiction

The most common reason for a petition to be dismissed is because the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the case. Jurisdiction is a technical term that means the power the court has to hear a case and make a ruling.