For some families, divorce can be a process that takes more than a year to complete. Those with complicated marital estates and high levels of conflict may need to litigate in family court. They may wait months for a hearing and even longer for a judge to enter the final orders.
The divorce process can feel a bit like purgatory. People are trapped in limbo and cannot yet move on with their lives. For some spouses, completing the divorce process as quickly as possible is a top priority.
What is the fastest that couples in Florida can complete their divorce proceedings?
Even the fastest divorce takes weeks
Typically, the fastest means of divorce involves an uncontested divorce filing. When the spouses have already agreed on all of the terms before they submit paperwork to the courts, the process can move ahead relatively quickly.
That being said, there is a mandatory cooling-off period that the spouses must complete before the courts can finalize the divorce. Spouses generally have to wait at least 20 days after they file the initial paperwork to move forward with the divorce process.
In cases where there are disputes about the terms for custody or property division, the divorce process can take much longer. Those with prenuptial or postnuptial agreements may be able to pursue a relatively quick divorce, as they have already agreed on key terms.
Discussing personal divorce priorities with an attorney can help people understand what to expect. Divorce proceedings generally require weeks of preparation and months of negotiations, although some spouses can divorce over the course of roughly a month in ideal circumstances.