In many states there is a waiting period for finalizing a divorce following the filing of the lawsuit for divorce. This waiting period is intended to allow the spouses to “cool-off” and reconcile if possible. And some states require the spouses to have separated and lived apart for some period of time before proceeding with the divorce. In some states that require such a separation period, if the spouses reconcile and begin living together again (cohabitating) after separating, the separation period must be restarted before the divorce process can proceed.

The waiting period or separation period is often 30-90 days but may be as long as 5-18 months in states such as Arkansas, California, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont. These waiting periods are generally in addition to any minimum time period a spouse must have resided in the county in which the divorce is filed before filing for divorce—known as the residency requirement.

In Arizona, the regulation regarding divorce includes a mandatory waiting period, which is often referred to as a 'cooling-off' period. This period is designed to give couples time to reconsider their decision and possibly reconcile. In Arizona, the waiting period is 60 days from the date the divorce paperwork is served on the other spouse. There is no legal requirement in Arizona for spouses to live apart for a certain period before filing for divorce. However, the state does have a residency requirement for divorce; at least one spouse must have been a resident of Arizona for a minimum of 90 days before filing for divorce. It's important to note that if the couple reconciles during the waiting period, they may choose to halt the divorce proceedings. If they later decide to proceed with the divorce, they would need to ensure that the residency requirement is still met and potentially serve the divorce papers again, restarting the waiting period.