I left my violent husband and moved to another country without telling him where I was going over 10 years ago. Is it possible that he since filed for divorce without my knowledge? If so how could I find out?
Yes, it is possible that your husband obtained a divorce from you.
In order for someone to obtain an absolute divorce in North Carolina, that person must serve the other spouse with the absolute divorce lawsuit paperwork, which gives the other spouse notice of a lawsuit for divorce against him or her. In your case, if your husband had no way of knowing what your address is even with his due diligence, he may have served you by publication, which is an acceptable method of service in North Carolina if all other attempts fail. Service by publication requires the plaintiff spouse to run an “ad” in the newspaper in the county that the defendant spouse last resided to give notice to the defendant spouse about a divorce action against them.
Check with the North Carolina Vital Records office located in Raleigh to see if they have a certificate of absolute divorce for you (assuming your husband continued to live in North Carolina and filed for an absolute divorce in North Carolina). You may also be able to check with the clerk’s office for the county or counties that your husband has resided over the last ten years to see if they have a file with his name listed as the plaintiff and your name listed as the defendant.
Yes unknown divorce is possible.