Can I get a divorce in DR?

K

Kat Reyes

Member
Aug 27, 2013
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I want to get a divorce. I live in NYC. I was married over 15 years ago to a man who abandoned me 3 months after we were married. He was accused of a criminal act and was either deported or left NYC to go back to DR. I have not had any contact with him. I tried to get a divorce here in NYC but was told I need to find him. I tried to do an uncontested divorce due to abandonment but it also stated I needed to know where he is and that he needed to live here in NYC. So I thought that I could just go to DR and get the divorce over there. I don't know what to do.. I am not even sure where this man is. I looked him up on facebook and found one profile for him, I sent him a friend request and a private message telling him I wanted a divorce. He never responded. That was a few years back.

I have family in DR and I am willing to go to DR for a few weeks to try to get this resolved, but I'm not sure what to do. Yes, I am a citizen of NYC and no he was not. Before anyone starts with the smart remarks, it is what it is I made a mistake when I was younger and married someone I didn't even know and I understand that. I just want a divorce so I can move on with my life.
 
W

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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You should be able to get a divorce in NY:

Abandonment Divorce
Divorce due to abandonment happens all too often these days. It is always a difficult and humiliating experience for the spouse left behind, but becomes all the worse when children are involved. When one spouse walks out they aren’t just leaving their spouse behind, they are also walking out on the children, as well. The effect this can have on the entire family unit and the mental well-being of children and spouse alike can be like a sledgehammer. Depending upon the state this is called either “desertion” or “abandonment”, and is another example of a “fault-based” divorce.
Although many states are moving away from “fault divorces”, divorce by abandonment is still a type of fault divorce accepted in New York. Essentially this type of divorce is awarded when one party as seen as being the cause of the divorce, stemming back from the days when couples did not get divorced without a fault. Society required some evidence of fault or blame in order to award the dissolution of a marriage. Today, this type of divorce is used rarely and only in cases where clear wrongs have been committed against the spouse or children.
Abandonment grounds for divorce
  • The spouse must have left for the sole purpose of leaving the marriage—a spouse whose husband is in the military and deployed cannot argue for abandonment
  • The spouse must stay away for a year or more
  • The spouse rejects attempts at reconciliation
  • The spouse refuses to pay child support

Girl sad sitting on floor due to abandonment divorce in New York

Abandonment is a Still Ground for Divorce in NYC
If there is clear evidence of abandonment, then the benefits associated for/with a petition of abandonment or applying for abandonment divorce NY may make sense. Certainly, this type of fault divorce can speed up the divorce process and can also be beneficial to distribution of marital assets and support. The courts do not take kindly to the abandonment of minor children and this creates a wide berth for favorable custody and support petitions.
 
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beeza

beeza

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Nov 2, 2006
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Foreigners can divorce foreigners here in the DR. The process is quite straightforward. My attorney filed all the paperwork and listed the required notices in the national newspapers.

The hardest thing for me was to get an original apostilled marriage certificate. I married my first wife in Barbados and I had to get a copy from the registrar's office there. To this day, I don't actually know if she knows that I have divorced her, but the Dominican authorities were satisfied to allow me to remarry in this country to a Dominican.

Once done it took about three months and 90,000 pesos.
 
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El Rey de Mangu

El Rey de Mangu

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Sep 22, 2009
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beeza said:
Foreigners can divorce foreigners here in the DR. The process is quite straightforward. My attorney filed all the paperwork and listed the required notices in the national newspapers.

The hardest thing for me was to get an original apostilled marriage certificate. I married my first wife in Barbados and I had to get a copy from the registrar's office there. To this day, I don't actually know if she knows that I have divorced her, but the Dominican authorities were satisfied to allow me to remarry in this country to a Dominican.

Once done it took about three months and 90,000 pesos.
Click to expand...
Through this post I have learned you are a dude. You see Beeza, DR1 is still a great place to learn new things!
 
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Caonabo

Caonabo

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In reality, yes, you CAN get a divorce if you visit RD enough. Will not take long.
 
hammerdown

hammerdown

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Apr 29, 2005
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You will still need to find the guy to get a divorce, here or in the US......like JD said post on Faybook that you won a lottery....he will be there faster than Oprah on a baked ham.....
 
H

hedon

Member
Mar 26, 2008
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Kat Reyes said:
I want to get a divorce. I live in NYC. I was married over 15 years ago to a man who abandoned me 3 months after we were married. He was accused of a criminal act and was either deported or left NYC to go back to DR. I have not had any contact with him. I tried to get a divorce here in NYC but was told I need to find him. I tried to do an uncontested divorce due to abandonment but it also stated I needed to know where he is and that he needed to live here in NYC. So I thought that I could just go to DR and get the divorce over there. I don't know what to do.. I am not even sure where this man is. I looked him up on facebook and found one profile for him, I sent him a friend request and a private message telling him I wanted a divorce. He never responded. That was a few years back.

I have family in DR and I am willing to go to DR for a few weeks to try to get this resolved, but I'm not sure what to do. Yes, I am a citizen of NYC and no he was not. Before anyone starts with the smart remarks, it is what it is I made a mistake when I was younger and married someone I didn't even know and I understand that. I just want a divorce so I can move on with my life.
Click to expand...
I'd really like to know what happens with your divorce. I'm in a similar situation. I got married in New York and my spouse abandoned the marriage after a few months and left the U.S.
 
chico bill

chico bill

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May 6, 2016
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Go to Mexico you can buy an official looking decree for a few hundred dollars in one day. Whether your state accepts it is another story.
 
JD Jones

JD Jones

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Kat Reyes said:
I am not even sure where this man is. I looked him up on facebook and found one profile for him, I sent him a friend request and a private message telling him I wanted a divorce. He never responded. That was a few years back.
Click to expand...

Do you know where he was in the DR based on that FB profile? Is it still an active profile?
 
K

Kat Reyes

Member
Aug 27, 2013
41
1
8
JD Jones said: Do you know where he was in the DR based on that FB profile? Is it still an active profile?

It does not look like the profile is active. My cousin sent me a number and address for him that is in Bonao. I know he was born there but who knows if that is even him. I'm sure there are other men with the same name.

caonaba said: Have you discussed this issue with a divorce attorney who specializes in international protocols? Hopefully you did before leaning on a public web forum.

To answer the other question, yes I contacted a divorce lawyer here in NYC and they want $5000 to do the divorce. I do not have that kind of money. And I also looked online and read that I can file a divorce due to abandonment but that I still need to find him so he can be served.

A lawyer from DR said he can file the divorce but doesn't want to do it if it will not be recognized here. I have the original marriage certificate and thats it.
 
K

Kat Reyes

Member
Aug 27, 2013
41
1
8
JDJones said:
Do you know where he was in the DR based on that FB profile? Is it still an active profile?
Click to expand...
It does not look active. I tried friend requesting him and no response. I also tried searching for other profiles and using the phone number that my cousin said she found for him, nothing comes up.
 
K

Kat Reyes

Member
Aug 27, 2013
41
1
8
hedon said:
I'd really like to know what happens with your divorce. I'm in a similar situation. I got married in New York and my spouse abandoned the marriage after a few months and left the U.S.
Click to expand...
i wish I had more information. I don't know what to do.
 
K

Kat Reyes

Member
Aug 27, 2013
41
1
8
beeza said:
Foreigners can divorce foreigners here in the DR. The process is quite straightforward. My attorney filed all the paperwork and listed the required notices in the national newspapers.

The hardest thing for me was to get an original apostilled marriage certificate. I married my first wife in Barbados and I had to get a copy from the registrar's office there. To this day, I don't actually know if she knows that I have divorced her, but the Dominican authorities were satisfied to allow me to remarry in this country to a Dominican.

Once done it took about three months and 90,000 pesos.
Click to expand...
I'm a foreigner, but he is not. he is a resident of DR. Born there and lives there.
 
K

Kat Reyes

Member
Aug 27, 2013
41
1
8
windeguy said:
You should be able to get a divorce in NY:

Abandonment Divorce
Divorce due to abandonment happens all too often these days. It is always a difficult and humiliating experience for the spouse left behind, but becomes all the worse when children are involved. When one spouse walks out they aren’t just leaving their spouse behind, they are also walking out on the children, as well. The effect this can have on the entire family unit and the mental well-being of children and spouse alike can be like a sledgehammer. Depending upon the state this is called either “desertion” or “abandonment”, and is another example of a “fault-based” divorce.
Although many states are moving away from “fault divorces”, divorce by abandonment is still a type of fault divorce accepted in New York. Essentially this type of divorce is awarded when one party as seen as being the cause of the divorce, stemming back from the days when couples did not get divorced without a fault. Society required some evidence of fault or blame in order to award the dissolution of a marriage. Today, this type of divorce is used rarely and only in cases where clear wrongs have been committed against the spouse or children.
Abandonment grounds for divorce
  • The spouse must have left for the sole purpose of leaving the marriage—a spouse whose husband is in the military and deployed cannot argue for abandonment
  • The spouse must stay away for a year or more
  • The spouse rejects attempts at reconciliation
  • The spouse refuses to pay child support

Girl sad sitting on floor due to abandonment divorce in New York

Abandonment is a Still Ground for Divorce in NYC
If there is clear evidence of abandonment, then the benefits associated for/with a petition of abandonment or applying for abandonment divorce NY may make sense. Certainly, this type of fault divorce can speed up the divorce process and can also be beneficial to distribution of marital assets and support. The courts do not take kindly to the abandonment of minor children and this creates a wide berth for favorable custody and support petitions.
Click to expand...
I tried this to do it myself and when i filled everything in it said I was not able to file because the man did not live in the united states.
 
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