The movies often portray divorce as a long, exhausting court battle that drains your bank account and destroys your mental health. In fact, filing for divorce in Florida doesn’t have to be a long ordeal. You could wrap up an uncontested divorce in less than a year.
How long does an uncontested divorce take?
You don’t have to go through a contested divorce if you and your spouse agree on all your settlement terms. Instead, you could petition for an uncontested divorce and get it over with as soon as possible.
When you file for divorce, you’ll still have to hire a family law attorney to help you with the paperwork. Your attorney may help you file a summons and serve your spouse with the papers. Your spouse will have up to 20 days to respond and announce that they don’t plan on contesting the divorce.
Once your spouse has responded, you’ll file papers with the divorce court. At this point, you’ll have to wait for a judge to sign the papers to officially dissolve your marriage. This could take up to a year, but the judge might sign the papers within a few weeks. Hopefully, your marriage will end without a court battle. You and your former spouse can go your separate ways and move on with your lives.
Do you still need an attorney for an uncontested divorce?
Even if you’re shooting for an uncontested divorce, you and your spouse should still hire your own attorneys. Your attorney may help you file the right paperwork and let you know about upcoming deadlines. If you don’t hire an attorney, you could end up making mistakes that harm your divorce case.
Your attorney may also give you advice throughout the process to ensure that your divorce remains uncontested. They might advise you on communicating with your spouse without causing an argument. If you have children, your attorney may also help you figure out a custody agreement that works for everyone.
