how long does it take for lawyer to file divorce

by Wendy Padberg 4 min read

How long does it take to get a divorce?

52 rows · 60-90 days You must wait 60 days after filing to finalize your divorce. Kentucky: 60-90 days No children: You must wait 30 days from the date of filing as long as the 60-day separation requirement is met. With children: You must wait 60 days from the date of filing even if the separation requirement is already met. Louisiana

How long after filing for divorce can I get a hearing?

Jun 22, 2021 · Depending on your state, your divorce could take from one to several months. A Contested Divorce Will Take Longer If your divorce is contested, your divorce could take a lot longer. A contested divorce, where at least one major issue cannot be resolved, will often involve a trial on any unresolved issues.

How long does it take to finalize a divorce in Florida?

Mar 15, 2019 · Get the right guidance with an attorney by your side. Our network attorneys have an average customer rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars. ... How Long Does it Take to Be Served Divorce Papers? By Bryan Driscoll, J.D. ... This may seem odd but some couples wait many years after separating before they file for divorce. In this situation, one of them ...

How long do you have to live apart before filing divorce?

Jan 21, 2020 · Once you start adding contested issues into the mix, however, the process takes longer—sometimes considerably longer. The average divorce duration jumped to 12 months for readers with one contested issue, and it climbed steadily from there: 13 months for two disputes, and 16 months for three or more issues.

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How long do you have to wait to file for divorce in California?

Some states don't have waiting periods, while others do: California has a six-month period. Tennessee has a 90-day period when there are children and a 60-day period without children. In some states, you can't even file for divorce unless you've been separated for a specific period of time—often one year.

What is the waiting period for divorce?

A waiting period allows you to consider reconciling or to get adjusted to your new situation. If you read articles about each state's waiting period, you will get different and often wrong answers. How long getting divorced takes will depend on what the waiting period is in your state.

How to speed up divorce?

There are several ways to speed up a divorce. The best way is to reach agreement with your spouse on: 1 Division of property and debt 2 Custody and visitation 3 Child support 4 Spousal support 5 Health and life insurance 6 Any other issues that need to be resolved

Why does an uncontested divorce take less time?

An uncontested divorce take less time because there is no trial. You and your spouse sign the required papers, including a marital settlement agreement. This allows your case to move quickly through the court. The judge merely needs to look at your papers, make sure they're in order, and then grant the divorce.

What is a no fault divorce?

A no-fault divorce is where no one takes the blame for breaking up the marriage. Some states also allow you to file a divorce based on fault. That means you can claim adultery, cruel and inhuman treatment, or other grounds for divorce.

Can you serve divorce papers on your spouse?

Serving Divorce Papers on Your Spouse. If your spouse avoids getting served with divorce papers, your divorce will take longer. Sometimes spouses play games when it comes to getting served with papers. If this happens, get a process server.

What to do if your spouse hides assets?

If Your Spouse Is Hiding Assets. Make sure you trust your spouse to have made a complete disclosure about assets. If you don't trust that all assets have been disclosed, consult a family lawyer. While it will slow down your divorce, you don't want to walk away from assets you may be entitled to.

How to serve divorce papers?

The best way to serve you divorce papers is by using a process server. A process server will work as many hours and days as it takes to make sure you are served. They will also be more willing to schedule a time to meet with you. Upon service, you will be required to sign attesting to the successful delivery.

What happens if you don't serve your divorce petition?

Reasonableness has different definitions depending on the state, but if you weren't served within the required time frame, you could have the petition dismissed entirely. You must accept the divorce petition when it is delivered to you.

How long does it take to get divorced in California?

Some states also require a legal waiting period before the divorce can be final—typically from 30 to 90 days, but as long as six months in California. (And in a few states, you can’t even file for divorce ...

Why is the divorce process delayed?

In places with crowded court calendars—and at a time when many court budgets have been slashed—the divorce process can be delayed even more because of the time it takes to get hearings and trials scheduled.

What are the issues in divorce?

Our survey confirmed what anyone who’s been through a divorce should know: the more disagreements you have with your spouse about major issues in your divorce, the longer it will take to resolve those disputes (and the more you’ll probably pay in divorce costs ). The most important issues that take time to resolve are: 1 child support and custody, including visitation 2 alimony (also known as spousal support), and 3 dividing your marital property and debts.

What does it mean to avoid trial?

Some people assume that avoiding trial means you won’t have to deal with going to court. That’s not necessarily true. In order to resolve disputes, you (or your lawyer) may have to file motions to ask the court to issue orders on issues such as:

What is temporary child support?

temporary child support while the divorce is pending. temporary child custody or visitation. temporary spousal support, or. forcing an uncooperative spouse to turn over documents (known as a “ motion to compel discovery ”). Whenever a motion is filed, the other spouse has a certain amount of time to respond.

What happens when a motion is filed?

Whenever a motion is filed, the other spouse has a certain amount of time to respond. Then the judge may need to schedule a hearing before making a decision. All of this takes time, especially when court calendars are crowded and lawyers have full schedules.

What is the Martindale-Nolo survey?

References in this article to survey results come from Martindale-Nolo Research's 2019 divorce study, which analyzed survey responses from readers who had recently gone through a divorce and had researched hiring a lawyer. The names of any readers quoted in this article have been changed to protect their privacy.

How Long Does an Uncontested Divorce Take?

A typical question a lot of people that want to end their marriage might ask their attorney is, “How long will my uncontested divorce take?”

Uncontested Divorce

Uncontested divorces are divorces in which the spouses have been able to come to an agreement about the issues that will make up the conditions of the divorce judgment. These are comprised of:

How Long Do Uncontested Divorces Take?

It will depend on how long it takes for each of the steps involved in getting the divorce to be finalized.

Steps Involved in Getting an Uncontested Divorce

The first step in getting an uncontested divorce is for the individual requesting that the marriage end file a Summons with the court. The Summons needs to also be served to the other spouse, known as the defendant.

Filing Divorce Papers with the Court

Following the divorce papers being signed and notarized or the deadline for the defendant to respond has expired, the next step is to file the divorce papers with the county court clerk’s office where the plaintiff resides.

Choose the Right Uncontested Divorce Lawyer in Arizona

Regardless of the choice you make, it’s important you make the best choice for you when hiring an uncontested divorce attorney. Remember: The decisions you make now can affect your future. Ultimately, choosing the best lawyer will depend on which lawyer feels best for you and your situation.

A statutory 91-day waiting period

The minimum time that a divorce will take from the filing of the initial petition in Colorado is 91 days.

Disputes and delays in Colorado divorces

Generally, delays arise due to disputes and disagreements about key issues such as:

Financial disclosure and other requirements that affect the duration of a divorce

After you file for divorce in your county court and one spouse is served, you and your spouse have 42 days to submit your financial information to the court.

How can you expedite the divorce process?

To ensure that your divorce doesn’t end up taking longer than average in Colorado, consider the following:

Do you need help filing for divorce in Colorado?

Although divorces are possible without attorneys in Colorado, complexities often arise even in divorces that start out as uncontested. Every case is unique. An experienced divorce attorney can help you avoid major delays.

How long does it take to respond to a divorce petition?

After the Respondent has been served with the petition, they must file an answer acknowledging the receipt of a copy of the petition. The Respondent has 20 days and the next following Monday to respond to divorce papers.

How long does it take to get divorced in Texas?

The mandatory waiting period, which lasts 60 days in Texas, starts from the date the Petitioner files for divorce. If the Petitioner has been a victim of domestic violence, they may be able to waive the 60-day waiting period.

Can a divorce be resolved before trial?

The more disputed issues you have, the longer it will take to resolve them and finalize the divorce. If you are pursuing a contested divorce, you and your spouse will participate in discovery to exchange evidence and documents. Going to trial would extend the length of your divorce, but most divorce cases are resolved before trial.

How long does it take to get divorced after filing a petition?

Once papers have been filed for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage, there is a mandatory 90 day waiting period after the petitioner serves the Petition to the respondent before the parties can be legally divorced. The spouse seeking the divorce is referred to as the petitioner, and the spouse receiving the Petition for Dissolution ...

How long does it take to get divorced in Iowa?

If there is not an agreement between the spouses, it can take over a year to finalize the divorce, depending on the number and complexity of issues the spouses are arranging.

Is Iowa a no fault state?

Iowa is a no-fault state, meaning that neither spouse needs to provide proof of why, what or who caused the marriage to end. The “petitioner,” which is a term for the spouse filing for divorce, need only state that the marriage is no longer reconcilable due to irreconcilable differences.

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