Most people who get divorced do everything in their power to get it over with quickly. If you’re wondering how long the process takes, it may be because you’re going through a divorce yourself. The following are some things that you’ll need to consider when it comes to the duration of your divorce process.
All the Factors Involved in Your Case
There could be a lot of factors involved in your case. The less complex your divorce is, the less time it will take to be resolved. If there are a lot of factors at play, you could be going through the process for years. Some common issues that make a divorce take longer include:
- Child Custody – Most parents want as much time with their children as they can get. If the marriage was volatile at all, one parent may fear for the safety of the children when they are with the other spouse. It could take a lot of back-and-forth negotiations to settle on what is best for the kids and who will get custody.
- Child Support – This is another area that will make a case take longer. Some parents simply don’t have the wages to support two households and will try to negotiate their way out of paying all or part of the required amount of child support.
- Spousal Support – In some cases, one spouse will receive spousal support from the other. This often happens when one spouse was the full-time breadwinner and the other was a stay-at-home parent. The stay-at-home parent will need money to get through the next months of finding a job. If that spouse has to go back to school, the other spouse may be asked to pay for his or her tuition. These issues often cause contention, which causes a divorce to take longer.
- Assets – If you and your spouse jointly purchased one or more large assets, that could be a point of argument, which could make the process last longer.
- Debts – Neither party will want all the debt, so this could be another point of contention. Arguing over who has to pay which debt could make a divorce proceeding last longer as well.
Where You Filed the Petition
Whether you and your spouse live in the same state, or you live in different states, the state in which the divorce petition was filed could play a role in how long your divorce will take. Some states have a cooling off period for couples to decide if they really want a divorce. That will take longer. Other states have other stipulations that the couple must abide by. It’s unique to each state, so sometimes it could take longer simply because of where you live.
Contacting a Divorce Lawyer
Before you start the divorce process, you’ll probably want a few questions answered. Contact a divorce lawyer, today to find those answers.