Ways to Speed Up a Divorce

Ways to Speed Up a Divorce

 

Divorce Lawyers

A divorce can take anywhere from a few months to years to complete. If you are like most people, you would rather finalize yours sooner than later. Typically, the more complex a divorce case is, the longer it takes to complete. For example, if a married couple share substantial assets or can’t agree on a child custody arrangement, the process can get dragged out. Family lawyers have provided some tips on how to speed up a divorce:

 

Start Early

 

If you know for sure that you want a divorce, there is no reason to delay the process any longer. Gather your financial and legal documents and bring them with you to your initial consultation with a divorce lawyer. He or she may look over your documents and determine if more information is needed. Your lawyer may also help identify possible hurdles you may face, like tax implications or shared children.

 

Waive the Mandatory Waiting Period

 

If your state has a mandatory waiting period that has to be completed before a divorce begins, you may want to look into waiving it. Ask your family lawyer to help you petition the court to waive the waiting period. If you have an uncontested divorce, you are more likely to get your petition approved.

 

Communicate With Your Spouse

 

Your spouse might be the last person you want to speak to right now, but communicating with him or her may help speed up the divorce process. If you can resolve some of the legal issues on your own, the judge will not have to spend as much time sorting everything out in court. For instance, if the two of you have kids, you may want to figure out how you will hand custody matters. One parent could have the children during the week while the other parent could take them on weekends.

 

Cooperate With Your Spouse

 

While you certainly do not have to agree with everything your spouse requests, responding to information requests and making compromises can go a long way in speeding up your divorce. For example, if the two of you can’t agree on who should get the family home, it may be a good idea to sell it and split the profits.

 

Consider Mediation

 

During mediation, you and your spouse sit in a room with a mediator and discuss the issues in your divorce. The process takes a lot less time than a litigated divorce and costs less money. You and your spouse can control the process.

 

A divorce does not have to take forever. If you follow these tips, you can speed up the process and get on with your life faster. A divorce lawyer Austin, TX relies on can understand how stressful a divorce can be and want to help you through it as painlessly as possible.

Thank you to our friends and contributors at The Law Office of Ryan S. Dougay for their insight into family law and divorce time frames.