One of the most frequent question I get during mediation is, “how long will it take me to get divorced?” The answer is always, “it depends.” It depends on the length of your marriage, whether there are minor children involved, the qualtiy of the relationship you had with your spouse, whether the divorce came as a surprise, whether there was infidelity in the marriage, whether you are involved in a new relationship, your socio-economic status, your ages, your careers, and your mental health. Experience has taught me that all of these factors can have an impact on the speed with which the parties move through the process.
One party is often anxious to get through the process and be divorce “now.” However, the system only moves as fast as the slower party is willing to move and there is no magic way to fast track the process. The unraveling of a marriage much like unraveling a knotted necklace that has continued to get more and more tangled over the years. If the untangleing is done carefully and with concern for the end result, the best outcome with the shortest recovery time will occur. If you jump in ripping and tearing in full blown litigation, the result can be far more damaging and take much longer to heal for both parties involved.
Nevertheless, most cases are mediated to resolution within 60-90 days at low expense. There are few litigated divorces in history that have moved through the legal system that quickly or at a cost approaching early mediation. If you believe this is an option you would like to explore, please contact us at your conveneince.