Can You Really Stick With A Timeline During A Divorce?
If you are the type of person who likes to make a plan for everything you do, you might be preparing a reasonable timeline to use for your divorce. While it is fine to plan a timeline, it is also important to know that there are no guarantees that you will be able to stick with this timeline. There are a lot of unknowns in a divorce, and you are not the only person involved with it. Therefore, it is important to know that you can create a timeline, but it might not be completely accurate.
The typical amount of time it takes from start to end
It is almost impossible to give you an accurate estimate as to how long your divorce will take because there are so many variables that affect this. There are situations where divorces may take only a few months from start to finish, but there are also situations where divorces can take years. It is unrealistic to think that your divorce will instantly go through, but the exact length of time will depend on rules in your state and on factors relating to your unique situation.
The cooling-off period
Most states have something that they call a "cooling-off period." This period is a stated amount of time couples must wait after filing for divorce before they can actually get divorced. The purpose of this is to help couples avoid getting divorced if they are just acting rashly. If you are forced to wait a period of time after filing, it may cause both spouses to reconsider the decision and decide to stay together.
While not every state has a cooling-off period, most do, and this period can last anywhere from six weeks to years. It just depends on the state you live in. Therefore, you will have to wait for the cooling-off period to end before you can expect your divorce to go through.
The complexity of the issues and the willingness of both spouses to negotiate
The other factor that greatly affects the timeframe of a divorce is the complexity of the situation. Will you go through a contested or uncontested divorce? Do you have kids? How long have you been married? Do you own major assets together? These are some factors that will affect the timeframe of your divorce, and you should realize that more complex issues will result in more delays in a divorce.
If you have questions about the timeline of a divorce or if you are ready to file, you can learn more by visiting a divorce lawyer.
Share