If you are beginning the divorce process, you may be wondering how long your divorce will take. This is a common concern of those starting the divorce process. Perhaps you have a friend whose divorce dragged on for more than a year. Most people don’t want their divorce to be drawn out, but this can happen for even the most well-intentioned spouses. Your attitude, motivation, and method through which you are divorcing will all play a big role in the timeline of your divorce.

Divorces in litigation can be slow going. If you hire attorneys and go through divorce litigation in court, you are subject to a host of timelines and calendars you are not in control of. Hearings, pre-trial proceedings, and trial dates all need to be fit into the already backlogged Probate and Family Court calendar.

The Duration Of Divorce: Factors Affecting Your Timeline

Couple this with the immense amount of information that may need to be gathered and exchanged during the discovery process and you can see how even a simple divorce can take upwards of a year. In litigation, you have little control over when you will appear in court. Various forms of alternative dispute resolution skip the courtroom battles and keep spouses in control of their own divorce.

These can reduce the amount of time it takes to divorce.

Divorce mediation is one of these forms. Mediation allows couples to be in control of how long their divorce will take. Couples in mediation can sometimes quickly work out the details of their divorce in a few short sessions. They can also take their time and go through the process unhurried to minimize stress and disruption in their life. Both cases differ from a court divorce because there are no court dockets to be worked into, and you only have to appear in court once to have your final divorce papers reviewed.

A divorce doesn’t have to be devastating. It doesn’t have to be expensive and take away precious time you could be spending with your children. It also doesn’t have to be dictated by someone else’s schedule. Speak with an experienced Massachusetts divorce mediator if you have questions about the divorce timeline. Mediation is particularly well suited for couples that want to stay in control of how long their divorce takes.

If you have questions about the divorce process, Mediation Advantage Services can help you.

Law Office of Polly Tatum is experienced in divorce mediation and can help you successfully handle your divorce through guided and non-adversarial mediation. Based in historic Worcester with a satellite office in Northboro, MA, our firm serves all cities and towns throughout Massachusetts and Worcester County including, Auburn, Paxton, Leicester, Sutton, Grafton, Shrewsbury, Westboro, Northboro, Southboro, Holden, Sterling, Princeton, Worcester, Charlton, Millbury, Dudley, Spencer, Brookfield, Sudbury, Natick, Framingham, Hopkinton, Milford, Blackstone, Leominster, Fitchburg, Acton, Jefferson, Barre, Oakham, Cambridge, Newton, Marlboro, Lancaster, Bolton, and Hudson.

Call our office at (774) 366-3711, fill out our online form, or email us at info@mediationadvantage.com today to schedule your Complimentary Mediation Success Planning Session. You can also sign up for our eNewsletter or download our free e-book for more information regarding divorce in Massachusetts.