By the time one spouse files for divorce, the marriage may have been challenging for years. Both spouses might want to move forward with the divorce as rapidly as possible.
People who are familiar with the overall timeline for a Georgia divorce can make informed choices about how they manage different challenges and can set realistic expectations as they start planning for the rest of their lives.
Even though many spouses want a relatively fast divorce, the process is not immediate. How much time does it take to formally dissolve a marital relationship in Georgia?
Many divorces take more than a year
State law imposes a mandatory 30-day cooling-off period after one spouse files for divorce. The courts cannot finalize the divorce until at least 30 days after the submission of the initial paperwork. However, it is common for divorces to take substantially longer than a few months.
Negotiating can require weeks or months, but successful negotiations allow for an uncontested divorce. Spouses have a judge approve their terms and can finalize the divorce relatively quickly once they settle.
Litigated divorces tend to take much longer. Spouses have to wait for their day in court and must also then wait for a judge to review everything and return with the final orders for the family. They may spend a year or longer waiting to finalize the process.
There is no surefire way to predict the exact timeline for a Georgia divorce, but spouses can prioritize expediency by settling matters outside of court and focusing their efforts on the most important terms. Working with a divorce attorney can help spouses understand the divorce process and make choices that facilitate a smoother divorce.