Yes. We are required by Church law to notify your former spouse that the process has begun and to offer him or her the opportunity to make a response. Your former spouse will be sent a letter explaining the process that was initiated.
It is very helpful to have the participation of the former spouse. However, we obviously cannot require the former spouse to take part in the process. Your former spouse does not have to agree to the annulment. Nor does the former spouse have to agree to participate. But we must let the former spouse know the process has begun and what the eventual result of it is. Sometimes, it happens that the current address of the former spouse is not known. In such a situation, the address of a parent will suffice if the marriage in question took place in the territory of the Diocese of Saint Cloud. When the marriage did not take place in this territory it is imperative a current address is sought for the former spouse. There are several places on the internet that might help you find a recent address. For example, one helpful site is http://www.locateme.com.