The fastest divorce in Arizona takes a minimum of 60 days from the date your spouse is served, a floor set by Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 25-329. An uncontested Summary Consent Decree with no minor children is the quickest way to get divorced, often finalizing in 60 to 90 days for a $376 filing fee in Maricopa County.
This guide explains exactly how the fast divorce Arizona process works, what the 60-day clock means, how much it costs, and how to avoid the delays that turn a two-month case into a two-year one. It is written for information only. Divorce.law is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or represent you; for advice about your specific situation, consult a licensed Arizona attorney.
Key Facts: Arizona Divorce at a Glance
| Factor | Arizona Rule |
|---|---|
| Filing Fee | $376 (Maricopa County petitioner); roughly $266–$376 statewide depending on county |
| Waiting Period | 60 days minimum after service or acceptance of service (A.R.S. § 25-329) |
| Residency Requirement | At least one spouse resident 90 days before filing (A.R.S. § 25-312) |
| Grounds | No-fault only: marriage is "irretrievably broken" (A.R.S. § 25-312) |
| Property Division Type | Community property, divided equitably (A.R.S. § 25-318) |
Filing fees are as of August 2026. Verify the current amount with your local Clerk of the Superior Court before you file.
How Fast Can You Actually Get Divorced in Arizona?
The absolute minimum for any divorce in Arizona is 60 days, measured from the day the responding spouse is served or signs an Acceptance of Service, under A.R.S. § 25-329. A judge cannot sign a decree before that 60th day even if both spouses agree on everything. In practice, an uncontested case reaches a final decree in about 60 to 90 days, while a fully contested case commonly runs 9 to 18 months.
The 60-day rule is a cooling-off period, not a processing estimate. It exists so couples have a genuine window to reconcile before the marriage legally ends. Because the clock starts at service rather than at filing, the single most effective way to speed up a quick divorce is to arrange for your spouse to accept service immediately after you file, rather than waiting weeks for a process server to complete delivery. Every day between filing and service is a day the 60-day statutory countdown has not yet begun.
Speed in Arizona is therefore controlled far more by cooperation than by court backlog. When both spouses sign a written settlement covering property, debt, support, and any children, the case moves on the fastest divorce process the state allows. When even one issue is disputed, the timeline shifts from the statutory floor to the court's litigation calendar, which adds disclosure deadlines, mediation, and potentially a trial date months away.
Arizona's 60-Day Waiting Period Explained
Arizona's mandatory waiting period is 60 days from the date of service, established by A.R.S. § 25-329, and it cannot be waived, shortened, or bought out no matter how quickly the parties agree. This waiting period applies to every dissolution in the state, including uncontested cases, default cases, and the Summary Consent Decree track. It is the one delay no strategy can eliminate.
The 60 days begin the moment the respondent is personally served, signs and files an Acceptance of Service, or otherwise formally receives the petition. Filing your petition does not start the clock. This distinction matters: if you file on day one but do not serve your spouse until day 30, your earliest possible decree is day 90, not day 60. Couples pursuing a fast divorce Arizona timeline routinely have the responding spouse sign the Acceptance of Service the same week the petition is filed, which is the practical trigger for the shortest possible case.
During the 60-day window, spouses typically finalize their settlement paperwork, exchange the financial disclosure required by A.R.S. § 25-318, and, in cases with children, complete the mandatory Parent Information Program class. Using this window to complete every document means the case is ready for a judge's signature the instant the waiting period expires, rather than starting the paperwork on day 60. To map the specific steps that apply to your situation, build a free personalized divorce roadmap before you file.
Residency Requirements: The 90-Day Rule
To file for divorce in Arizona, at least one spouse must have been an Arizona resident for a minimum of 90 days before the petition is filed, under A.R.S. § 25-312. A servicemember stationed in Arizona for a continuous 90-day period is treated as a resident for filing purposes. Only one spouse needs to meet this requirement, not both.
The 90-day residency rule is a threshold for the court's jurisdiction, not part of the 60-day waiting period, so the two run separately. If you moved to Arizona 40 days ago, you cannot file yet; you must wait until day 90 of residency before the Superior Court can accept your petition. Attempting to file early risks dismissal, which resets your entire timeline and wastes the filing fee.
There is an additional child-focused rule that can affect timing. If minor children are involved, Arizona courts generally require the children to have lived in the state for at least six months before the court can enter custody and parenting orders under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act. The divorce itself can proceed on the 90-day adult residency, but final legal decision-making and parenting-time orders may need to wait for the child's six-month home-state period to mature. If children are part of your case, learn how child custody arrangements are decided in Arizona before you file.
The Summary Consent Decree: Arizona's Fastest Path
The Summary Consent Decree is the quickest way to get divorced in Arizona, governed by A.R.S. § 25-314.01, and it is the state's closest equivalent to California's summary dissolution. It lets fully agreeing spouses file a joint petition and a signed consent decree together, skipping the separate service-and-response steps that lengthen a standard case. Even so, the 60-day waiting period still applies, so the realistic finish line is 60 to 75 days.
To qualify for a Summary Consent Decree, spouses must meet several conditions: at least one spouse has met the 90-day residency requirement, both agree the marriage is irretrievably broken, both sign the joint petition and decree, and both have completed or waived conciliation efforts. Many courts limit the streamlined summary track to cases without minor children, though a full consent decree remains available for agreeing couples who do have children. Either spouse may file a notice of intent to withdraw at any time before the decree is entered, which returns the case to the standard process.
Because the Summary Consent Decree bundles the petition and the final decree into one coordinated filing, it removes the biggest variable in a quick divorce: waiting on the other spouse to respond. Both signatures are collected up front, so once the 60-day clock runs, the file is complete and ready for judicial review. This is why practitioners consider it the fastest divorce process for couples who have already settled every issue between them. If negotiating those terms feels overwhelming, a knowledgeable find a divorce attorney resource can help you paper the agreement correctly the first time.
Uncontested vs. Contested Divorce Timelines
An uncontested Arizona divorce typically finalizes in 60 to 90 days, while a contested divorce averages 9 to 18 months, a gap driven almost entirely by whether the spouses agree. The 60-day statutory minimum applies to both, but contested cases layer disclosure deadlines, mediation, temporary-orders hearings, and a possible trial on top of that floor. The more issues in dispute, the further the case drifts from the statutory minimum.
The table below compares the two paths on the factors that most affect how fast your divorce moves.
| Factor | Uncontested / Consent | Contested |
|---|---|---|
| Typical Timeline | 60–90 days | 9–18 months |
| Court Hearings | Often none (decree by consent or default) | Multiple; temporary orders, trial |
| Financial Disclosure | Exchanged voluntarily, quickly | Formal discovery, subpoenas, delays |
| Attorney Cost | ~$500–$3,000 combined | ~$15,000–$30,000+ per spouse |
| Main Delay Driver | 60-day waiting period only | Disputed property, custody, support |
The default divorce is a third path that can be nearly as fast as an uncontested case. If you serve your spouse and they file no response within 20 days (or 30 days if served outside Arizona), you can apply for a default under the court rules and finalize after the 60-day period. A default divorce lets one spouse complete a quick divorce even when the other refuses to participate, provided service was proper and the waiting period has run.
Filing Fees and Court Costs in Arizona
The filing fee to start a divorce in Arizona is $376 for the petitioner in Maricopa County, with the responding spouse paying about $287 to file an answer, as of August 2026. Fees vary by county and generally range from roughly $266 to $376 statewide. Verify the exact amount with your local Clerk of the Superior Court, because county fee schedules change and are set independently.
Beyond the base filing fee, budget for a few predictable extras. Service of process through a private process server usually costs $50 to $150, though a spouse who signs an Acceptance of Service eliminates that expense entirely and speeds up the case. Certified copies of the final decree run a few dollars per copy, and cases with minor children require the Parent Information Program class, which costs approximately $50 per parent. These modest add-ons keep an uncontested filing well under a few hundred dollars in hard court costs.
Arizona offers meaningful fee relief for those who cannot pay. A Fee Deferral or Fee Waiver application lets low-income filers defer or eliminate the $376 filing fee, and courts grant these routinely for applicants receiving public assistance or living below the qualifying income threshold. Filing a fee deferral request alongside your petition does not slow the case; the 60-day clock still starts at service, so a fast divorce Arizona timeline is available regardless of your ability to prepay court costs.
Step-by-Step: Filing for a Fast Divorce in Arizona
The fastest divorce process in Arizona follows six core steps, and completing them in tight sequence is what keeps a case at or near the 60-day statutory floor. Missing a step or leaving gaps between them is the most common reason an otherwise simple divorce stretches past 90 days. Here is the sequence for an uncontested filing.
- Confirm eligibility. Verify that at least one spouse has met the 90-day residency requirement under A.R.S. § 25-312 and that the marriage is a standard (non-covenant) marriage.
- Prepare the petition. Complete the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, plus the Summons, Preliminary Injunction, and, for a joint filing, the Summary Consent Decree paperwork under A.R.S. § 25-314.01.
- File and pay. Submit the packet to the Superior Court in your county and pay the $376 filing fee, or file a Fee Deferral request if you qualify.
- Serve immediately. Have your spouse sign an Acceptance of Service the same week, or use a process server. Service starts the 60-day clock under A.R.S. § 25-329.
- Exchange disclosure and settle. During the 60 days, trade financial disclosure statements, complete the Parent Information Program if you have children, and sign the consent decree.
- Submit the decree. After day 60, submit the signed decree and supporting documents for the judge's signature. Most uncontested decrees are entered without a hearing.
Because the 60-day waiting period is the only mandatory delay in this list, spouses who finish steps two through five inside that same 60-day window reach a final decree at the earliest moment Arizona law permits. If minor children and support are involved, use our child support calculator to estimate obligations before you finalize the parenting terms.
What Slows an Arizona Divorce Down
The three biggest causes of delay in an Arizona divorce are late service, incomplete financial disclosure, and disputes over children, and each can add weeks or months beyond the 60-day minimum. Understanding these bottlenecks in advance is the single best way to protect a quick divorce timeline, because nearly every avoidable delay traces back to one of them.
Late service is the most common self-inflicted delay. Because the 60-day clock starts at service, not filing, a spouse who is hard to locate or who dodges a process server can push the earliest decree date out indefinitely. Arranging an Acceptance of Service up front, or moving promptly to alternative service by publication when a spouse cannot be found, keeps the countdown on track. Incomplete disclosure is the second: Arizona requires both spouses to exchange detailed financial information, and a judge will not finalize a case with missing asset or debt information, so gaps trigger continuances.
Disputes over property division under A.R.S. § 25-318 and over parenting time are the delays with the largest impact, because they convert a paperwork case into a litigated one with hearings and possible trial. As a community property state, Arizona presumes assets and debts acquired during the marriage are divided equitably, and disagreements over what counts as community versus separate property can add many months. Understanding community property rules before you negotiate helps you settle faster and stay on the fast track. When issues genuinely cannot be resolved, mediation is often quicker and cheaper than waiting for a trial date.
Covenant Marriage: A Different and Slower Track
Covenant marriages cannot be dissolved under Arizona's standard no-fault "irretrievably broken" ground and instead require proof of specific fault-based grounds listed in A.R.S. § 25-903, which makes them inherently slower and more complex. Fewer than 1% of Arizona marriages are covenant marriages, but if yours is one, the fast divorce paths above generally do not apply unless both spouses agree to the dissolution.
Under A.R.S. § 25-903, a court may dissolve a covenant marriage only on defined grounds: the respondent committed adultery; committed a felony carrying a death or prison sentence; abandoned the marital home for at least one year and refuses to return; physically or sexually abused the spouse or a child; the spouses have lived separate and apart continuously for at least two years; the spouses have lived apart for at least one year after a decree of legal separation; habitual drug or alcohol abuse; or both spouses agree to the divorce. Proving a contested ground requires evidence, which lengthens the case well beyond the 60-day floor that governs standard marriages.
The one fast path within a covenant marriage is mutual agreement. When both spouses consent to the dissolution, the case can proceed much like a standard consent decree, still subject to the 60-day waiting period. If your covenant-marriage divorce is contested, the fault-proof requirement means you should treat the timeline as a contested standard case at minimum, and professional guidance becomes especially valuable.