Residency Requirement For Divorce in Florida

by Jeff from Italy

I am married to an Italian citizen in Italy. Can I get a divorce in Florida? I am a Floridian.

The situation I have is that I am married to an Italian citizen in Italy. After 25 years of marriage I would like to get a divorce as soon as possible.

I would like to do this without having to spend too much money on legal fees. Right now I am living in Italy and working as a civilian for the Department of Defense (Army) I was married here in Italy and I have the Italian marriage certificate.

I have one child who will be turning nineteen in December. I have not lived with my family for over almost a year but helped support them. Also, my wife refused to sign the separation document that previous lawyer prepared on a military base. With the right Florida court forms can I get a divorce?

Answer to Florida Divorce Question

Dear Jeff,

I don't think you can qualify as a Florida resident to be able to file for divorce in Florida.

The residency requirement is that one or the other of the spouses must have lived in Florida for six months immediately prior to filing for divorce.

The courts have some discretion in deciding whether members of the military are or are not considered Florida residents.

But as a civilian employee of the Department of Defense, I don't think you qualify as a Florida resident.

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