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Arizona No-Fault Divorce Law Will Help NASCAR Star Danica Patrick

Arizona’s no-fault divorce law is likely to make things easy for NASCAR Star Danica Patrick, who filed for divorce from her husband Paul Hospenthal.

Patrick announced her intention to file for divorce on Nov 20, 2012 through a Facebook post, claiming that her seven-year marriage was irretrievably broken with no “reasonable prospects for reconciliation.”
The process was made official with a divorce filing on January 3, 2013 in the Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix, Arizona.

Danica Patrick and Paul Hospenthal were engaged in Nov 2004 and got married on Nov 19, 2005 in Scottsdale, AZ. Hospenthal is a physical therapist who had met Patrick in 2002 when treating her for a hip injury sustained while doing Yoga. He is 17 years older than Danica Patrick, who is currently 30-year-old.

Since Arizona is a no-fault divorce state, Danica Patrick did not need to provide a reason for the separation. The court papers did specify that there was no domestic violence involved. But the court will not finalize the divorce for at least 60 days from the date on which Hospenthal was served with the divorce papers. This gives him time to respond with his own filing, if required.

The couple has a prenuptial agreement, and neither side expects any financial restitution or alimony from the other party as part of the divorce.

They expect the divorce to be amicably resolved, and plan to file a settlement agreement for the marital assets and other issues for the court’s approval. The couple has a home in Phoenix and a 45-foot leased luxury Marathon Coach bus which they use as a mobile home. They have no children so custody and child support are not a part of the equation either.

Did you know?
All states have the no-fault divorce law on the books, but the exact meaning and process of the law varies by state.
“No-fault” means that the spouse filing for divorce does not have to prove wrongdoing on the part of the other spouse. However, most states require at least a nominal reason from a valid list of allowed reasons (such as irreconcilable differences). Many states also require the spouses to spend some time apart as a trial separation period before the divorce is granted.