Can a wife file for Khula' while her husband is traveling?

The basic principle of khul' (divorce at the instance of the wife) is that it occurs with an offer from the woman and acceptance from the husband. A judge's ruling on it without the husband's knowledge is not valid. However, if the husband refuses, the Sharia judge has the authority to compel him to accept khul' or to divorce without compensation. It is also the wife's right that her husband not be absent from her for more than six months without a valid excuse; if he does so, she has the right to seek divorce, according to some jurists.