This question is asked at virtually every consultation with a new client. For some reason, people seem to underestimate how long the divorce process will take.
Clients are always surprised to hear that even the simplest, easiest, friendliest, "no fault" "out-of-court" divorce can take several months.
This is due to the fact that even after you reach a settlement, it takes the court system a long time to process the paperwork and finalize the decree. Depending on the venue of the filing, the processing time can take between 3 months and 8 months.
A divorce is a marathon, not a sprint.
If you and your spouse do not see eye-to-eye on the issues of child custody and support, your divorce will take closer to one year to get resolved. (This is due to the lengthier negotiations that these issues often entail.)
If your case involves the issue of spousal support, or the valuation of a business, your divorce will take, on average, up to two years. (This is due court proceedings, valuations and experts, which complicate and lengthen the timeline of the case.)
A contested custody case can also take up to two years.
In general, the longer the case takes, the more it will cost.
Keep these time frames into account and pace yourself accordingly.
For a free consultation, contact Jacqueline Harounian at Jackie@lawjaw.com.
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