The divorce process can be uncomfortable and stressful, which is why many people often want to know how long it will take. While there is no precise answer for how long it takes for parties to go from filing for divorce to finalizing it, there are some general parameters to keep in mind.
There is a waiting period of 60 days in this state, meaning it will take at least this long to finalize a divorce. Often, it takes between six months and one year for the process to come to an end. That said, several factors can affect the timeline.
- Speed of responses – When parties drag their feet in responding to the other person’s requests or returning pertinent paperwork, the process can drag on longer than it needs to. If you are eager to keep things moving, do not feel you must rush through things, but you should respond in a timely fashion.
- Dispute resolution method – Divorcing spouses typically do not agree on everything, and many do not like or trust the other person. However, when they work together to reach agreements through mediation or arbitration, things can move more quickly. Picking fights and putting up walls means a divorce can wind up in court and at the mercy of court schedules, extending the process.
- The complexity of the marital estate – The more assets and liabilities parties have, the more difficult it can be to arrive at a property settlement agreement. It takes time to appraise businesses, categorize property and conduct a forensic investigation into parties’ financial resources. Being organized, open and honest can help expedite the process, as can having a premarital or postmarital agreement.
- Your children – A divorce between parents generally takes more time than one between parties without children. It can take additional mediation or hearings to decide what is in the best interests of your children, how much child support a parent will pay and what the parenting schedule will entail.
Some of these factors can be somewhat out of the divorcing parties’ control, but not all are. Thus, working with your attorney to keep the process moving and preventing avoidable delays can help you get to the other side of divorce more quickly.