A special provision in Dominican divorce law allows foreigners to obtain a divorce in the Dominican Republic in one day without any residency requirement, provided that both spouses are in agreement and consent to the jurisdiction of the Dominican Court. Only one of the spouses must travel to the Dominican Republic to be present in court. The other spouse may be represented by a lawyer in our firm after executing the required power-of-attorney. In any case a lawyer from our Santo Domingo office will accompany you at all times in court. The divorce judgment will be handed down the day of the appearance in court. The divorce documentation, including authentication by the parties’ embassy in the Dominican Republic, is sent by courier to both parties a few days after the court appearance.

Before going ahead with a Dominican divorce, parties are advised to consult local counsel to determine its legality in their place of residence. Although courts in some jurisdictions (New York, Connecticut, Tennessee) have upheld Dominican divorces and found them valid, courts in other jurisdictions either have not had the opportunity to rule on the matter or consider them invalid based on reasons of public order. Many web-based services offering Dominican divorces and some Dominican attorneys do not address this issue properly.