How Long Does a Divorce Take?

QUESTION: HOW LONG WILL A DIVORCE TAKE?

ANSWER: BEST CASE: 30 DAYS, WORST CASE: YEARS As stated above, a divorce could be over about thirty days after your spouse is served with the divorce Petition if they Default (fail to file an Answer), or if you reach a settlement. In the worst case scenario, if your spouse files their Answer, and an agreement on the terms of the divorce cannot be reached, a case can go on for months or even years before it reaches a trial where a Judge decides the issues. Each county has their own time guidelines based upon the volume of cases in the Court and the number of Judges. Other factors may also delay a case such as when a trial date has to be moved (continued) for any number of reasons. QUESTION: MY SPOUSE AND I DO HAVE AN AGREEMENT ON THE TERMS OF DIVORCE, CAN’T WE FINISH SOONER THAN THIRTY DAYS? ANSWER: NO. It is a state law that the Petition must be on file for 30 days after service of the Petition before it can be finalized.