It can take weeks, months or even longer for someone to reach the conclusion that divorce is their best option. Most people try to save their marriages when difficult times arise. They may go to counseling, attempt to improve their conduct as a spouse and try to work through their issues. Even those who discover infidelity or have a spouse struggling with addiction may attempt to work through their relationship challenges before filing for divorce. The average person initiating divorce proceedings will, therefore, have been in a high-stress situation for a long time.
Once they make the decision to divorce, they will often be eager to complete the process as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, divorce takes a lot longer to complete than a marriage does in Indiana. Couples can marry the same day they apply for a marriage license, but they will need to wait to divorce. How long will it take to go from the initial filing to the final court approval for the divorce?
Indiana divorces take at least 60 days
There are many factors that influence the duration of Indiana divorce proceedings. The number of issues that spouses disagree on is one important factor. Uncontested divorces are typically much faster than litigated proceedings. If couples need a judge to review their situation and enter a ruling, the divorce process will take far longer than it would if they agreed on all of the terms. The current volume of cases requiring attention in the family courts is also a consideration. There are a finite number of judges and courtrooms available.
The absolute fastest a divorce could occur would it be slightly over 60 days. Indiana Law requires a 60-day cooling-off period between the date when someone files the initial paperwork and the final hearings to formally grant the divorce. Despite what people may claim, whether or not couples have children will not influence the waiting period for divorce. There is no extra waiting period imposed if a divorcing couple shares children the way there is in many other states.
Divorces in certain jurisdictions and with certain complicating factors may take substantially longer than 60 days to finalize. Understanding the potential timeline for an Indiana divorce may help people make more informed decisions as they begin the process.
