What if my spouse does not answer the divorce summons in a military divorce?

If your spouse does not answer the divorce summons in a military divorce in Washington, you can still proceed with the divorce process. Your spouse must be served with a summons, but if they do not formally respond, you may be able to obtain a default judgment. To obtain a default judgment, you must show the court that you did everything possible to serve the summons on your spouse. Generally, this involves having a process server deliver the summons to your spouse and then giving the process server a statement showing that they made the delivery. If your spouse is in the military, an additional step is necessary. You must also notify their commanding officer of the summons. If your spouse does not respond to the summons within the time limit set by the court, a judge may enter a default judgment. The court may grant the divorce and make a decision on issues such as property division, custody and support without further input from your spouse. This can be beneficial since it saves time and money with the court proceedings and eliminates the possibility of your spouse contesting the divorce. It is important to note that a court may still deny the default judgment if there is an error in the process of delivering the summons. Additionally, the court can set aside a default judgment if your spouse provides an adequate excuse for not responding to the summons. Therefore, it is essential to follow the court’s requirements in order to obtain a valid default judgment.

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What if my spouse does not answer the divorce summons in a military divorce?

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