Acquiring an absolute divorce in North Carolina is a fairly routine procedure. However, if you’re not careful, you could run into some difficulty.

In the state of North Carolina, absolute divorce is defined as the termination of the marriage covenant that was established by your wedding ceremony and marriage certificate. You can secure an absolute divorce once you’ve lived separate and apart from your spouse for at least an entire year.

To show proof of separation, you need to know the date on which you separated and the time of estrangement. You must also verify that either you or your spouse, or both, intended the parting to be permanent. No written documentation is needed. Neither you or your spouse is required to file for divorce, although neither of you can restrict the other from pursuing a divorce.

You can get an absolute divorce whether or not you and your spouse have ironed out any other issues stemming from your separation, such as child custody and visitation, alimony and post separation support, or equity distribution.