Time
One of the most common questions everyone asks when entering into a divorce proceeding is how long will it take. Unfortunately, the correct answer is a typical lawyer’s answer: that no one really knows for sure or, it depends. There are many factors that can influence the length of time that any individual proceeding will take. The shortest divorce proceeding that I have been involved with took seven days from the time I met the client until the day he was divorced. The longest proceeding that I have been involved with started in 1944 and I worked on the conclusion of it in 1980, thirty-six (36) years later. In general, however, the average divorce takes approximately sixteen (16) months.
There are many reasons as to why divorces take longer or shorter. There are also tax reasons why someone may want to be divorced prior to the end of the year or wait until the first month in the new year. However, the divorces are often delayed due to a failure to either provide or receive information that is required under the current status of New Jersey law. Also, people being unreasonable forcing their demands and their offers, tend to cause divorces to take more time. Although a highly emotional situation, emotions should not play any role in the divorce. In the 21st century, the main issue in the majority of divorces is financial. In that case, emotions should not play any role in the divorce proceeding. Emotions can only delay the eventual outcome. A situation where custody is truly an issue, emotions are also detrimental and time consuming as the experts that will insist in having the Court decide custody do not want either party to be too emotional.
When you are contemplating starting a divorce proceeding, you should plan on sixteen (16) months of dealing with the court system and being totally frustrated with the slowness of the judicial system. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel being that once the divorce is over, your new life can start.
