When New Jersey residents want to get a divorce, they most likely want to get it over with as quickly as possible. Divorce is hard on everyone, and most people just want to get on with the next phase of their lives. However, how long a divorce takes depends on several factors.
What factors determine how long before a divorce is finalized?
There are several factors that can determine how long a divorce takes. Sometimes, it simply boils down to where the couple lives. Some states require things like mandatory separation periods while others have various paperwork processing times. Divorces that take place in New Jersey are supposed to take place within a year, but that timeline will ultimately be dependent on how busy the courts are and how complex the issues in a specific divorce are. Once a spouse has been served divorce papers, they could have up to 60 days to respond depending on where the case is being held.
Divorces that take place where no children are involved are usually the quickest. The reason for this is because there are no issues with things like custody, visitation and child support. If there are children, those issues can lead to contentious discussions that could end up taking a long time to resolve.
It may also help if there are no major assets to divide. The division of assets in a divorce can take a long time to negotiate, drawing out the process even longer. If a divorce is completely uncontested, it could take from as little as a month to as long as a year to finalize.
How can divorcing couples get help?
Couples going through a divorce may benefit by working with family law attorneys who have experience helping couples end their marriages. A skilled attorney may be able to make the process go as smoothly as possible.