Foreign Divorce Recognition In U.S.

[Theophilus]

Will the United States recognize a divorce that happens in another country? In this case Bulgaria.
Both the husband and wife meet the criteria to be divorced in Michigan, where they reside.
The wife filed for divorce in Michigan and has a trial pending.
Meanwhile, the husband has filed his own divorce case in Bulgaria after the wifes filing.
The divorce case in Bulgaria has finished before the wifes filing in Michigan. Understanding that the U.S. courts do not have jurisdiction over property division and children, of which there are none, Will the U.S. recognize the devorce settled in Bulgaria as binding in America?
And will this be sufficient to present to a judge to dismiss the pending case of the wife in the U.S. courts?

[lwpat]

Under comity, the courts in the US will recognize a divorce in another country under certain circumstances. However, since they both reside in Michigan, the divoce will have to be in the Michigan court.

[Theophilus]

I'm sorry, I don't fully understand your reply.
The divorce case in Bulgaria is finished, settled.
Here in the U.S. we are in the process of discovery for the wifes case. Again my question is -
Will the U.S. courts recognize the divorce in Bulgaria as binding here in the U.S.?
Will the courts accept the official documents from Bulgaria and dismiss the proceedings here in the U.S.?
The husband and wife reside in Michigan, where the wife filed for divorce. Is it necessary to be divorced in every country you move just to finally settle the situation?
I would think that once you are divorced, you are divorced! It should not matter where the divorce took place. I'm looking for answers to these questions.

[aaron]

The Michigan case was filed first. The parties are residents of Michigan. The Michigan court does not have to dismiss the case merely because one party filed a subsequent divorce case in a foreign country.