How Long Does Divorce take in Florida?

When two people cannot share their bonds of marriage any longer, divorce is a valid option. IT may be expensive sometimes, but it is worth it. You gain your old life back, your freedom, and all within a couple of months.

Many people wonder how long does it take to get divorced in the state of Florida. To get an answer to that question, they need to understand the laws and regulations the state of Florida has towards divorces.

Understanding The Basics

The state of Florida has two different types of divorces:

• Uncontested divorce
• Contested divorce

Based on the type and the circumstances surrounding it, the divorce can last anywhere between 3 months and 24 months. To learn more about it, speak with one of Divorce Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale

Uncontested Divorce

In order for the case to uncontested, both spouses have to agree on every detail surrounding their divorce. This involves:

• Parenting arrangements
• Child support
• Alimony
• Division of assets
• Division of liabilities
• Tax exemptions (and who gets them, if applicable)

Every argument, even about the slightest thing will turn the case from uncontested to contested, increasing the duration of the divorce process to anywhere up to 24 months.

Here is how it works:

• It takes approximately 3 weeks to prepare the case and all the paperwork
• Filing for a divorce is usually instant (unless there is a long waiting queue, which is a rare case)
• It takes about 3 months until the final hearing
• Total divorce process lasts about 4 months

Again, this only applies if both parties agreed on everything and have already decided how the divorce is going to happen. This is usually not the case, as couples barely agree on everything. For that reason, the majority of cases are the contested cases, and for them, different rules apply.

Initially Contested Cases

These types of cases are traditionally prepared, and their process time is a lot longer than with the uncontested cases. The chances are that one of the spouses is not going to agree on something, and once that happens, the whole thing gets complicated.

Statistically speaking, almost half of all these initially contested cases settle at a “half-way point” in the divorce process. This means that instead of the case lasting up to 2 years, it lasts about 1 year.

Here is how things are done:

• Preparing the case takes about 4 weeks
• Summons and personal petitions last between 1 and 3 weeks
• The answering period is 3 weeks
• Financial disclosure lasts for 3 months
• From the time of filing for divorce, mediation (semi-voluntary negotiation process) lasts between 4 and 5 months (70 to 90 percent of all cases are settled completely at mediation)
• Final Hearing is 4 to 6 months after the start of the case (at average). Many factors may prolong it.

Contested Cases last even longer (up to 24 months). Consult with Fort Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys to learn more about Contested cases and why they are the worst type of divorce cases in Florida.