One of Alabama residents’ favorite country music singers is making news in the state based on her high-profile case. Sara Evans was recently involved in more court proceedings stemming from her high asset divorce.

Evans’ ex-husband attempted unsuccessfully to have the high-profile couple’s divorce proceedings moved from Tennessee to Alabama. Evans has since married an Alabama sports radio personality and lived in the state for about five years.

Despite an apparently contentious hearing where Evans was questioned by her ex-husband, who was representing himself, the judge denied the motion to dismiss the case and move it to Alabama. The judge noted the divorce had originated in Tennessee in 2007, and the ex-husband himself was a resident of that state when the motion was filed.

In a high asset divorce, much less any divorce, there may be questions of where to file for divorce. As divorce is a state law matter, most states have laws setting forth residency requirements for those who wish to file a divorce petition. In other words, a person must reside in a state for a certain period of time before he or she is able to file a complaint.

The residency requirements vary by state, with some requiring as little as six weeks, and some as long as one year, before a person may file for divorce. What’s more, there may be local county or district residency requirements, where a person has to reside in a given county for a certain period of time.

Given the differences in state law on divorce, individuals may prefer to file in a certain state over another depending on the circumstances. To navigate through these various laws, and abide by residency requirements, it is best to work with a qualified divorce attorney who can help determine the best manner of filing for divorce and whether any special circumstances are present.

Source: The Tennessean, “Sara Evans divorce case to remain in Williamson County,” Oct. 24, 2012