Can I File For Divorce In California Even If I Do Not Live In California?

You can file for divorce in California if have residency in California and file your taxes in California.  However, if your spouse lives in California, you can also file there even if you have residency in another state or country.  In addition, if you have a child who lives with your spouse in another state, you could (if it is in that state) still file for divorce in California but issues such as custody, visitation and support and real estate division would have to filed in that state.  But if you and your wife have a Marital Settlement Agreement prepared and signed which includes child issues and division of property, then that too can go through the California courts.  Once your divorce is finalized in California, it is valid throughout the United States as well as in certain countries depending on agreements made with those countries.  To find out which countries that would approve of a California divorce, you would need to contact the governmental agencies in that country.