Do I have to get divorced in the country where I married?

No. If one of you has lived in New Jersey for 12 months, you can divorce here. Whether your home country accepts it is a separate step.

My marriage certificate is in Spanish or Portuguese. Is that a problem?

No. Bring it. We use it to fill in the date and place of the marriage. If the court asks for it, expect to need an English translation. Ask the Family Division.

I can't get my marriage certificate from my country. What now?

Come in anyway. We start your papers with the date and place you know, and tell you how to ask for a copy.

My spouse is still in my home country. Do they have to come here?

No. They can sign an Acknowledgment of Service before a notary, or be served the way their country allows. Your spouse doesn't have to come to New Jersey.

Tri State Community Services LLCNewark, NJ · Se habla español

Main Office

1299 McCarter Highway (Route 21)
Newark, NJ 07104

(973) 643-0889

UNCONTESTED

$399 DIVORCE + Court Fee

Spouse's Signature Not Needed

Secondary Office

65 Walnut Street (Behind Prudential Center)
Newark, NJ 07102

(973) 732-7727

Divorce in New Jersey when you married in another country

Short answer

Where you married doesn't matter. You can file in New Jersey if one of you has lived here for the 12 months before filing. Your spouse can live anywhere.

Can I file here?Yes, with 12 months in NJThe rule looks at where you live, not where you married. Only one of you needs the 12 months.

Your marriage certificateBring a copy if you have oneIt helps us fill in the date and place. If it isn't in English, bring a translation too. No copy? Come in anyway.

Spouse lives abroadThey can sign, or be servedThey can sign an Acknowledgment of Service before a notary. If not, the papers are served the way their country allows, often under the Hague Convention.

Will your home country accept the New Jersey divorce?

Pick the country. Each country decides for itself, so check with a lawyer there.

Brazil

A consensual divorce that only ends the marriage can usually be registered directly at a Brazilian cartório, without the STJ. If the judgment also covers custody, support or property, it needs STJ approval (homologação).

Usually needed

The full judgment with an apostille, proof it is final, and a sworn translation (tradução juramentada).

We are not lawyers, and we don't handle anything outside New Jersey. This is general information to help you ask the right questions.

Using your NJ divorce in another country

1Get a certified copyAsk the Superior Court Records Center (609-421-6100) for a certified copy of the full Final Judgment of Divorce. $15.
2Get an apostilleNJ Treasury (Division of Revenue) adds it. $25 per document, 12–20 business days. Faster service: $40.
3Translate it thereMost countries want an official translation. Brazil, for example, asks for a tradução juramentada.

Fees checked September 2026. Ask for the full judgment, not only a short certificate: many countries want the whole document.

If your spouse abroad won't sign

Common questions

Married abroad? We prepare your NJ papers.

Se habla español. Falamos português. Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat 10am–1pm.

Call (973) 643-0889 Get directions

Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:34-10; R. 4:4-4; U.S. State Department, divorce abroad; NJ Treasury, apostilles; NJ apostille fees; NJ Health, divorce decrees; NJ Judiciary fee schedule; Brazil, CPC art. 961 §5 (IBDFAM); Portugal, CPC art. 978; Mexico, CNPCF; Dominican Republic, JCE; Ecuador, Corte Nacional; Colombia, Corte Suprema; India, Y. Narasimha Rao (1991). General information, not legal advice.