If one of the parties is not a legal US resident/citizen, can the other party still file for an absolute divorce on their own without lawyer representation? In this situation, does the resident status make a claim for divorce invalid?
Yes. Our divorce statute only requires that the person seeking divorce be a resident of NC and have lived here for at least 6 months before the filing of the action. There is no requirement that the other party be a citizen of the US. Your biggest concern if he/she lives abroad is getting the party served for the divorce.