Divorce - Utah / Foreign Citizen

[Melagias]

Hello, I am asking this on the behalf of a friend who lives in Casablanca in Morocco. She married a man from Utah while she was studying in Florida. The marriage took place in Florida. After the marriage was done, her study visa expired and she returned to Morocco and the marriage fell apart. She is wanting to return to the U.S. to continue her studies on a new visa, but she'd like to initiate the divorce while in Morocco.

I know this forum focuses on American law - and that is what I am asking about, I just want to know the American side of this.

Questions:

• Does her status as married affect her visa application? Will it hurt it? Can she just list her status as seperated?
  
  
• Is it possible for her to initiate a divorce from abroad? If so, how do we go about doing this?
  
  
• Is it better for her to wait and do it in the U.S. (if her marital status doesn't affect her visa)?
  
  
• Does abandonment come into play at all?
  

Your time is greatly appreciated - thank you so much for reading this and offering your thoughts.

 

[Highwayman]

If so, how do we go about doing this?

"we" don't go about doing anything at all.

 

[army judge]

Does her status as married affect her visa application?

She might wish to pose that question to an officer at the US Embassy in Morocco.

Will it hurt it?

She might wish to pose that question to an officer at the US Embassy in Morocco.

Can she just list her status as seperated?

She might wish to pose that question to an officer at the US Embassy in Morocco.

Is it possible for her to initiate a divorce from abroad?

She might wish discuss to discuss this with a lawyer in Morocco.

If so, how do we go about doing this?

Her divorce ONLY involves her and the dude she married.

She might wish to discuss this with a lawyer in Morocco.

Is it better for her to wait and do it in the U.S. (if her marital status doesn't affect her visa)?

She might wish to discuss this with a lawyer in Morocco.

Does abandonment come into play at all?

Unless she gave birth to a child sired by dude in Utah, I don't see abandonment as an issue, insofar as US laws are concerned.

I know nothing about the laws of Morocco.

 

[adjusterjack]

She is wanting to return to the U.S. to continue her studies on a new visa, but she'd like to initiate the divorce while in Morocco.

It would be easier and less costly to establish residency in whatever state she will be doing her studies and file for divorce there. The residency requirement in Florida, for example, is 6 months and, like any state in the US, doesn't require fault.

She would be foolish not to take advantage of US divorce laws. She'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow. But soon, and for the rest of her life.

 

[Melagias]

Thank you all. I apologize for the "we," my only involvement will be passing information along to her.

 

[zddoodah]

Is it possible for her to initiate a divorce from abroad?

You wrote that she wants "to initiate the divorce while in Morocco." No one here is going to have any idea if this is possible to do from abroad.

If so, how do we go about doing this?

"We" (i.e., you) don't do anything. Your friend should consult with a divorce lawyer in Morocco.

Is it better for her to wait and do it in the U.S. (if her marital status doesn't affect her visa)?

In order to offer you an intelligent comparative analysis, one would have to have a working knowledge of Moroccan divorce law, which no one here does.

Does abandonment come into play at all?

No (at least not under the laws of any U.S. state).