Many people want to know how long a divorce will last. This is a tricky question, because it depends on many factors. Waiting periods may vary by state. A divorce can take anywhere from a couple of months to a couple of years. If you have children, have property or assets that will need to be divided, you want alimony, or do not agree on the specifics of the divorce, it can take longer to finalize your divorce. Having an attorney is your best and safest option if any of these apply.

It will be much easier on both you and your spouse if you can come to agreements early on, however, don’t be too hasty to finalize your divorce. Too many people in a big hurry to finalize a divorce end up missing out on rights they are entitled to, simply because they wanted the whole thing over too quickly. When going through the process to end your marriage, it is very important that all of the petitions, dissolutions, or custody agreements are looked at very carefully so that both parties are fully aware of what he or she is signing. Having an attorney to make sure documents are exactly as they are required to be can actually save you a lot of time and hassle in the long run. (Having done a do-it-yourself divorce, I know from experience that one “i” not dotted or one little “t” not crossed can cause your papers to be returned to you with a demand that they be re-done.)

Divorce is a very emotional, hard experience to go through. You don’t really gain anything by rushing the process. It will happen soon enough, and it will be a distant memory some day. Give yourself time to take it all in, deal with it, and make plans for your new life. Chances are you’ve been in the marriage a few years or more. What are a few more months of waiting?

I will take a moment to note that an excessively long divorce can be very taxing on your well-being, and if you find yourself in this situation, make sure you have a good attorney on hand to help you sort it out. I have seen “tug-of-war” divorces that lasted two years or more, and it only serves to frustrate, aggravate, and hold both parties back from moving on.
The bottom line is, it’s better to get your divorce taken care of properly, than to end up regretting rushing through it in the end.