Ghosted By Your Spouse? Here's A Look At Your Rights
As much as marriage is supposed to involve commitment, it is actually not uncommon for one participant in the legally binding union to up and decide that married life is not for them. Unfortunately, this decision is sometimes accompanied by a true "ghosting" event, or a situation when one partner basically disappears. If you are the apparently not-so-significant other who has been "ghosted," there's no doubt that you will be upset enough that you will be ready to march down to the divorce attorney's office and end the whole situation. Here's what you need to know first.
Filing for a divorce when your spouse has ghosted you can depend on the laws in your state.
Every state has its own set of laws about filing for a divorce when your spouse is not around to speak for themselves. In some states, you will have to wait a period of time before you are legally allowed to file. In other states, you may have to take certain measures to locate your spouse and only then will you be allowed to file. Every situation is different, but it is highly important to look up the divorce laws in your state to find out what to do if you've been ghosted.
Tracking down your spouse will be well worth the effort if you truly want a divorce.
Hands-down, the best thing you can do if you want to get a divorce even though you cannot locate your wayward spouse is to try and track them down. In some cases, your attorney can help you by using their reach to track someone down legally. They may also be able to put you in touch with a private investigator, but if not, it is worth hiring one on your own. If the court system knows the location of your spouse, they will be able to ensure your spouse is served with papers once you file.
Absolute ghosting can bring about a lot of unexpected requirements.
If you have no clue about where your spouse has gone at all, it can bring about certain challenges and requirements that you may not expect. For example, in some states, you will be required to publish publicly that you are filing for a divorce in the local newspaper and your spouse will have a set number of days to respond to the notice. If they do not respond, you will be allowed to proceed.
For more information, contact a lawyer like James Bass, Attorney At Law.
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