When spouses decide that they are ready to file for divorce, they often want to complete the process as quickly as possible. Frequently, divorce is the culmination of years of slow relationship degradation. People usually only file when they have exhausted all of their other options for improving their relationships.
Although many Washington spouses hope to divorce as quickly as possible, the reality is that divorce proceedings often require patience. What is the typical timeline for a divorce in Washington?
The state imposes a cooling-off period
There’s no such thing as a one-week divorce or weekend divorce in Washington state. While some jurisdictions allow for very prompt proceedings and uncontested cases, Washington is not one of them.
The state imposes a 90-day waiting period before the courts can finalize the divorce. This gives the spouses an opportunity to cool off after their emotional reactions to the initial filing and to reevaluate their circumstances.
It is only possible to schedule a hearing and move forward with the divorce process after waiting 90 days following the submission of the initial petition paperwork to the courts and the service of the other spouse. Even then, the divorce could take many weeks or months to complete.
The volume of cases waiting for a hearing in family court can influence the timeline. The more issues the spouses disagree on, the longer it may ultimately take to settle matters. Divorce litigation, where a judge must review and settle disputes, can also lead to an extended divorce timeline.
Learning more about the basics of Washington state divorces can help spouses plan for the future. A divorce takes months to complete, but the right approach to the process can help spouses complete their divorce proceedings as quickly as possible.
ES