Thank you for your question.#N#The amount of time a divorce takes depends on the parties and the lawyers involved and the complexity of the issues in the case so it is hard to say if four years is too long.
Four years is a long time. However, it may not be a long time if you and/or your wife cannot agree on a settlement. Civil matters, such as divorce, do not require a "speedy trial" (that's for the criminal matters). So, any gamesmanship by you, the wife, or the attorneys may have little to do with getting a divorce...
Talk to your attorney about the matter. If he doesn't give you a satisfactory answer, retain another one or handle the matter yourself. However, the judge won't discuss the case with you as long as you are represented by an attorney.
I agree with my colleague. As frustrating as things often appear, there may be valid reasons for the delay, including as your attorney alluded, communications between the parties.
I suggest you call your attorney's office and ask what is holding up the Judgment and what you can do to help speed things along. You might also convey the sense of urgency you feel, and explain why this is so important. Then follow up with an email covering the same things.
For 2 months I have been waiting on my ex wife”s lawyer to submit final paperwork in order to get my final divorce judgement (I am pro se). After inquiring about 1 week ago, I was told by her lawyer that the stipulation that we signed agreeing to the terms, custody, and financial reward is no longer acceptable by her client (my wife).
I am not quite sure where you are in the process. It sounds like you have signed a stipualtion of settlement and told the Judge that you are settled. Normally when this happens, the Judge gives a date for the paperwork to be submitted and if it is not, you must return to court to explain why it has not been.
Someone may be delaying the divorce and dragging it out as being a form of punishment or payback to their ex, to benefit financially, to attempt to financially drain the other party, to delay ending a marriage, or some other agenda.
Even in divorce cases where there is minimal animosity and both partners are working together to reach an amicable divorce agreements can become costly. However, in cases where one partner does not wish for the divorce to go through in their marriage, they may purposefully try to drag out the divorce process, which in turn will run about ...
In cases where one spouse is receiving temporary alimony, it may be in their best financial interest to delay the divorce from concluding. If they are not in an eligible position to receive post-divorce spous al support, they will be more likely to drag the divorce process out. If you have reason to believe your spouse is intending to drag out the divorce proceedings in order to benefit their private agenda, your attorney can help. While not all delays will be avoidable, experienced divorce attorneys can help to address and manage the tactics your ex will use to delay your divorce case. Contact Renken Law Firm today to learn more about the legal services we offer and how we can help you start the divorce process quickly.
Renken Law Firm is here to help couples who wish to dissolve their marriage, whether that be through divorce or legal separation. We are here to help those who are ending marriages that have been contested, uncontested, or collaborative. We are fully prepared to help you navigate the specifics of your case. We proudly serve the Greater Houston area, including but not limited to Brazos County, Cypress, Fort Bend County, Galveston, Houston Heights, Houston, Humble, Katy, Kingwood, Memorial Houston, Montgomery County, Montrose, Richmond, Rosenberg, Spring, The Woodlands. All marriages are different, making each divorce equally unique with its own set of needs that must be addressed. Contact our law office to explore your options moving forward, and find out how we can help you.
Your spouse’s failure to respond will be treated as an agreement to your terms. You’ll have to prove to the court that you provided your spouse with proper notice of the divorce.
For some couples, divorce is often a long and painful process. But it doesn’t have to be. Your divorce can move forward amicably and at a reasonable pace. Even spouses who drag their feet in a divorce don’t necessarily control the process.
However, in most cases one spouse files and serves a divorce complaint and the other spouse has 20 or so days to file a response. Couples with more complicated assets and custody issues usually have longer and more expensive divorces. Some aspects of a divorce simply take time.
For example, in many states there’s a mandatory waiting period in a contested divorce. That period can force a couple to wait anywhere from 30 to 90 days from the time they submit their divorce paperwork to when the judge will sign off and grant the divorce.
A spouse who does not want to cooperate with a divorce proceeding has many options at their disposal to delay progress. Some of the more common ways to stall handling their participation in the process include:
Understand that we have seen this behavior countless times before. That is why we tell our clients to let us handle it. More times than not, a client who attempts to bring his or her former partner to the table, when that partner is purposely attempting to delay, will not be successful.