questions & answers

Question: My husband and I were married in 2000. We separated in 2001 and have no lived together or been in a relationship ever since. He was deported to Mexico. How can I file? He agreed to sign and get papers notarized in Mexico immediately. Would they be valid in Arizona?

Answer: There are two way to accomplish the signing of divorce papers by a foreign national.  Your husband can make an appointment at the U.S. Consulate and sign the documents in front of a qualified official there.  This information comes from the United State State Department website.  You can also ask the Court that an Apostille be attached to the documents to be signed.  The Hague Convention of 1961 provides that documents can be notarized in a foreign country that is a signer of the Hague Convention with an apostille.  (Mexico is a signer).  According to the rules of the Convention, there are strict requirements for signers of an apostille that guarantee authenticity.