How Long Is My Divorce Going to Take?

The divorce process is not the same for everyone. Each couple has its story and a variety of factors can influence the development of the divorce.

If you want to anticipate how long this process is going to take, at least to a certain extent, it is best to discuss the specifics of your case with an experienced St. Louis divorce attorney. They can help you understand the factors that can influence its duration and how to prepare for each step. Here are a few general factors that may effect the duration of your divorce:

The Waiting Period Imposed by the State

According to the Missouri law, there is a minimum of 30 days from filing the petition until the divorce can be pronounced.

The judges can make an exception about the waiting time if the circumstances require it. However, it’s generally only for events that cannot be controlled by the spouse, such as birth or deployment.

How Well You Get along with Your Spouse

It may sound ironic, but your divorce will happen faster if you actually get along with your spouse. Of course, that implies a mutual desire to separate, but also the ability to compromise and agree on the small things in the process.

The fastest divorces happen when you actually settle on a signed agreement, making the division of assets or the custody arrangements simpler for everyone.

The Number of Assets That You Must Divide

It’s only natural to expect your divorce to take longer if you had a lot of properties and goods as a married couple. The court must now register, evaluate them and decide what goes where.

Things can get even more complicated if you have a family business together as the evaluation of its value must be done over a long period of time.

Whether or Not You Have Children

One of the most delicate, important and disputed parts of a divorce is dealing with the custody of the children, child support payments and parent rights. The divorce can be over quite quickly if you don’t have children.

If you and your spouse have different ideas about where the children should live, your divorce won’t be pronounced until the custody issue is solved through witnesses, evidence, evaluations, testimonies, and so on.

The Presence of Both Spouses in the Same State

If both of you live and work in the same state, then the divorce process will be over sooner than expected. Filing for divorce when your spouse or yourself have relocated to a different state, on the other hand, will affect its duration significantly.