A.R.S. § 25-904: Covenant Marriage Separation Grounds
Decree of legal separation; grounds
How do you file for legal separation in a covenant marriage in Arizona?
In Arizona, for spouses in a covenant marriage, a court may grant a legal separation only if it finds one of several specific grounds, including adultery, a felony conviction with a death or imprisonment sentence, abandonment of the home for at least one year, or physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or domestic violence. The other grounds are living separate and apart without reconciliation for at least two years, habitual intemperance or ill treatment that makes living together insupportable, or habitual drug or alcohol abuse. If the one-year abandonment or two-year separation period is not yet complete when the case is filed, the case is not dismissed but paused until the period runs, though the court may still issue temporary orders.
Full statute text
Official text last checked against azleg.gov:
25-904. Decree of legal separation; grounds
Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, if a husband and wife have entered into a covenant marriage pursuant to this chapter the court shall not enter a decree of legal separation pursuant to chapter 3, article 2 of this title unless it finds any of the following:
1. The respondent spouse has committed adultery.
2. The respondent spouse has committed a felony and has been sentenced to death or imprisonment in any federal, state, county or municipal correctional facility.
3. The respondent spouse has abandoned the matrimonial domicile for at least one year before the petitioner filed for legal separation and refuses to return. A party may file a petition based on this ground by alleging that the respondent spouse has left the matrimonial domicile and is expected to remain absent for the required period. If the respondent spouse has not abandoned the matrimonial domicile for the required period at the time of the filing of petition, the action shall not be dismissed for failure to state sufficient grounds and the action shall be stayed for the period of time remaining to meet the grounds based on abandonment, except that the court may enter and enforce temporary orders pursuant to section 25-315 during the time that the action is pending.
4. The respondent spouse has physically or sexually abused the petitioner, a child, a relative of either spouse permanently living in the matrimonial domicile or has committed domestic violence as defined in section 13-3601 or emotional abuse.
5. The spouses have been living separate and apart continuously without reconciliation for at least two years before the petitioner filed for legal separation. A party may file a petition based on this ground by alleging that it is expected that the parties will be living separate and apart for the required period. If the parties have not been separated for the required period at the time of the filing of the petition, the action shall not be dismissed for failure to state sufficient grounds and the action shall be stayed for the period of time remaining to meet the grounds based on separation, except that the court may enter and enforce temporary orders pursuant to section 25-315 during the time that the action is pending.
6. The respondent spouse's habitual intemperance or ill treatment of the other spouse is of such a nature as to render their living together insupportable.
7. The respondent spouse has habitually abused drugs or alcohol.
Drafted by AI from the official text and checked sentence by sentence against azleg.gov. ClearStatute is run by David Bartlett, who is not an attorney. Legal information, not legal advice — consult a licensed attorney for your situation.