Divorce Waiting Periods--What Do You Think?

In this blog, we attempt to provide some helpful tips and information about divorces, particularly in Georgia, (because Augusta, Georgia is where The Goolsby Law Firm, our father and son law practice, handles family law matters, along with criminal defense, personal injury, and other types of cases). If you are getting a divorce, you will need to consult with an experienced divorce lawyer in your own state and in your own community. But there are many divorce topics which are important for you to consider and learn more about, no matter where you are getting a divorce.
One important topic for you to learn more about is divorce waiting periods. In other words, does your state require you and your God-forsaken spouse, "Sluggo," to wait and live apart a certain length of time before you can "take him to the cleaners" and send him to legal oblivion?
Many states, including South Carolina and North Carolina, require long waiting periods before a divorce can be obtained. For instance, in South Carolina, there reportedly is a one year waiting period for many divorces. The theory behind the law in those states is that the waiting period causes couples, especially couples with children, to carefully consider the implications and costs of a divorce. It also represents an effort to "slow down" the escalating number of divorces in this country.
Fortunately, Georgia does not require a waiting period before you can file for a divorce, although an uncontested divorce petition must still wait 30 days in the clerk's office before it can be sent to a judge to sign a final divorce decree. And occasionally in the past in Georgia, some legislators
have attempted to introduce legislation mandating lengthy waiting periods, but the legislation has, thus far, never made it into law.
What do you think about waiting periods? Frankly, I don't agree with them. I look at all the abusive situations which some poor, unfortunate women must endure and I believe that dragging out the legal process only fosters additional costs and suffering, for them and their kids. Also, no one can convince me that mandating waiting period requirements will alter the divorce rate. And besides, if "Sluggo" looks bad enough to divorce him today, then I suspect "Sluggo" won't improve or look a whole lot better a year from now!
What do you think?