How Long Does It Take For A Georgia Divorce To Become Final?

As Augusta, Georgia divorce lawyers, we are often asked, "How long will it take for my divorce to become final?"  The answer is.....it depends!

Actually, the length of a divorce proceeding may depend, in part, on whether it is an uncontested divorce or contested divorce.

 

1. SIMPLE, UNCONTESTED DIVORCES:

A simple, uncontested divorce in Georgia will generally take only a couple of months, after filing, in order to become final.  In other words, under Georgia law, generally, the divorce documents must remain in the clerk's office for a month before the file can be sent by the clerk to the judge's office, where it might take up to another month, or so, before a final divorce decree is signed.  Of course, if there are any problems, such as one of the parties is late in getting the mandated children of divorce seminar completed, then the divorce could take longer before it is approved by the court.

2. CONTESTED DIVORCES:

Contested divorces are a different ballgame! It is much more difficult, as a Georgia divorce attorney, to predict how long a contested divorce might take.  More simply put, we generally will not even attempt to guess!  In part, the length of time it takes will depend upon the reasonableness of both parties.  In other words, if both parties can cooperate and quickly negotiate a fair settlement, then a contested divorce can be resolved relatively quickly.  However, if the parties are fighting each other, tooth and nail, on complex issues ranging from child custody, to property division, to alimony, to adultery, to who gets the family cat, then it might take a number of months, or even a year, or more, of hearings and mediation, before the final decree is signed!  In short, every divorce is different, so it is impossible to guess precisely how long the entire process will take.

Of course, these are all matters which you should discuss with your own divorce lawyer!