Yes, you may serve your spouse by publication. If you have reliable information about the city or county of your spouse’s whereabouts, it would be best to publish the notice in that city or county. If not, you can publish the notice in the county where the action for absolute divorce is filed.
The rules of serving a party by publication (and the specific wording for the notice of publication) can be found in the North Carolina General Statutes; Chapter 1A; Article 2, Rule 4(j1). You can access the NC General Statutes at ncga.state.nc.us/Statutes/Statutes.asp
Robin F. Verhoeven
Attorney at Law
Rosen Law Firm
4101 Lake Boone Trail, Suite 200
Raleigh, North Carolina 27607
NCdivorce.com
(919)787-6668
The response posted above is based upon the limited factual information made available and is not intended as a full and complete response to the question. The only reliable manner to obtain complete and adequate legal advice is to consult with an attorney, fully explain your situation, and allow the attorney sufficient opportunity to research the applicable law and facts required to render an accurate opinion. The basic information provided above is intended as a public service but a full discussion with an attorney should be undertaken before taking any action.