When does the prescribed waiting period (iddah) for a woman begin if she files for khul (divorce at the wife's instance) and the husband evades attending court sessions? Is it from the date the lawsuit is filed, or from the date the judge ratifies the khul and divorce?

The waiting period (iddah) does not begin until the day the divorce occurs, either by the husband's declaration or by a judge's ruling. As long as the divorce has not occurred, there is no obligation for the waiting period. Therefore, the waiting period begins from the time the judge rules for the woman's divorce.