Ending a marriage is undoubtedly one of the most stressful life experiences for many people. Anyone who has been through divorce will likely say that they wanted to get through this process as quickly as possible. On average, most California divorces take about a year to complete. However, divorce can quickly get complicated if spouses have a lot of assets, can’t reach an agreement or have children. Here are some other factors that may influence how long a divorce can take.
Problems serving the other party
One of the first steps in the divorce process is serving the other party with divorce papers. Typically, a process server delivers these documents to the spouse. However, sometimes efforts are made to avoid process servers.
Conflict
Some marriages are more volatile than others. In these cases, divorce can get complicated. If the marriage is high-conflict and spouses are unable or unwilling to talk through issues, their divorce will inevitably take longer.
Hidden assets
During the property division process of divorce, both parties’ attorneys do some investigating to ensure all assets are properly disclosed. However, if one party attempts to hide assets, it will increase the time it takes to finalize the divorce. Also, the court can sanction a spouse who attempts to hide assets.
Legal assistance amid divorce
Ultimately, the more spouses can cooperate and work things out on their own, the more it will speed up their divorce process. Dissolving a marriage is challenging and there are many tough decisions to make during this time. Those in California who have questions or may be heading for divorce can benefit from discussions with a legal representative. An experienced lawyer can ensure that personal rights and interests are protected throughout the process.
