In order to proceed with a divorce in the Dominican Republic, it is necessary to comply with the provisions of the new Law 544-14 of December 2, 2014, on Private International Law.
For a divorce between foreigners or even between Dominicans to be brought before the Dominican courts, “both spouses must have habitual residence in the Dominican Republic at the time of the claim or have had their last habitual residence in the Dominican Republic, and the plaintiff continues to reside in the Dominican Republic at the time of the claim.” (Article 15, paragraph 3, of Law 544-14).
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.