To start any lawsuit, including a divorce, the plaintiff must file a Complaint with the court and notify the defendant what is going on. Often in a divorce case, the plaintiff has not seen his or her spouse for some time and may have no idea where his or her spouse is; yet, the plaintiff must still make a good faith effort to see that the spouse gets the divorce papers and has an opportunity to contest the divorce if s/he wishes to do so. If you genuinely do not know where your spouse is, you must be prepared to demonstrate to the court clerk and to the judge that you have tried your best to find your spouse.