Many non-U.S. citizens are hesitant to leave a spouse out of fear of the U.S. court system or concern for their residency status. You may be surprised to learn you don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to get divorced in the United States. Non-U.S. citizens are afforded the same resources and rights in divorce proceedings as U.S. citizens, including the ability to file for divorce and have an attorney represent them. However, a common question is how a divorce will affect their legal residency status.

If you are thinking you will be involved in a divorce action soon, or if you are currently involved in a divorce, you want to carefully govern yourself so you’re not surprised by unwanted consequences. For instance you may want to avoid commingling your assets.