It probably took you a long time to come to the decision to get a divorce. However, now that you’ve made the decision, you probably want the matter settled and behind you. It’s natural to want to move on with your life, as many people don’t enjoy being stuck in a state of limbo.
If you are trying to figure out how long your divorce will take, know that there’s no set time frame. Every divorce case is different, and time periods vary greatly.
Your California divorce time frame will depend on a variety of factors, such as whether any children are involved, whether there are issues that still need to be resolved in the divorce case, whether one of the parties is in the military, among other issues.
That being said, most divorce cases should be resolved within a year to two at most. The minimum time frame is six months.
So, what would make a divorce case take longer than six months? We’ve already mentioned a few causes, but here are a few more reasons that divorce cases could stretch out. You might be able to resolve your case faster by being aware of the issues that lengthen the process.
One of the factors that could lengthen the divorce process considerably is when the parents don’t agree to a custody plan. If you are fighting your ex on custody of the kids, this could delay your divorce. You might have to attend mediation in order to get your case resolved. You might even have to go to family court.
Many couples can’t work out how their property and debts are to be divided. This is not easy to do, and it gets more difficult the longer the marriage lasts. If you can’t resolve this issue, your divorce could drag out.
There are some unique circumstances involved in some divorce cases that could lengthen the process. For instance, if one of the spouses is in the military, the law allows that person to request a stay (delay) on the court proceedings until they are able to attend the hearings in person.
There could also be other issues where one of the spouses is ill and unable to attend hearings, which could delay your divorce case.
Hoping to speed things up? You can’t control many aspects of your case, but one thing you can do to help move your case along is to hire a lawyer. There is no guarantee that a lawyer will make your case move more quickly, but it’s definitely more likely.
This is because there won’t be unnecessary delays due to lack of knowledge or understanding about how the divorce process works. Contact a Rancho Cucamonga divorce lawyer at The Law Office of Laurence J. Brock by calling our office at 909-466-7661. You can also head to our website to learn more about the divorce process in California.
