How Long Does a Divorce Take?

How long will your divorce take? It depends on your particular situation.  Let’s take a look at some examples.

Scenario 1:

You and your spouse both agree to get a divorce and you’re filing a joint petition for divorce (an uncontested divorce).

It will take approximately 5 months from beginning to end for this type of divorce.

Scenario 2:

You and your spouse has separated and you don’t know where your spouse is.  Or, you and your spouse has separated and you file for a contested divorce and your spouse refuses to answer.  This will require you to file for a contested divorce with no answer from your spouse.

It will take approximately 9 months from beginning to end for this type of divorce.

Scenario 3:

You or your spouse wants a divorce but cannot agree on the terms.  This will require you to file for a contested divorce where both parties are present.

This type of divorce will will take at least 9 months but can go on for an undetermined amount of time depending on how contested the case is and when the conflict gets resolved.

In short, an uncontested divorce will take at least 5 months and a contested divorce will take at least 9 months.  There is no way to expedite the process because the time periods are set by statute.