Dissolution of marriage is the formal Arizona legal action for divorce. The case begins with a petition for dissolution, proceeds through service and response or default, mandatory disclosure, temporary orders if needed, settlement efforts, and concludes with either a consent decree by agreement or a trial on unresolved issues.

Arizona is a no-fault divorce state for non-covenant marriages. The court does not decide who caused the marriage to fail or who behaved badly. What it decides is how to divide community property and debts, whether spousal maintenance is appropriate, how to structure parenting time and legal decision making, and what child support should be.

The 60-day waiting period under A.R.S. § 25-329 means no decree can be entered until at least 60 days after service or acceptance of service. That is the minimum, not a typical timeline.

A dissolution case that ends with a clear, complete, enforceable decree is a well-resolved case. One that ends with a vague or incomplete decree is often just the beginning of the next dispute.