At the Harris Family Law Group, our Los Angeles family law attorney knows that all divorces are unique. Even when they share similar circumstances, the details and timing are different for everyone in California.
While the California divorce laws require couples to take certain steps to dissolve their marriages, there is a waiting period of six months before it can be finalized.
The bigger question becomes, why do California divorces typically take so much longer?
The answer is, it depends.
Here are some of the most common reasons divorces are drawn out in California and across the country.
The longer it takes to agree on the terms of the divorce, including property division, spousal support, child custody, or child support, the longer the divorce will take.
Eventually, the divorce will appear before a judge where each spouse’s attorney will litigate their case in hopes of getting the judge to side with their wishes. This can take years to finalize, especially when courtroom continuances are ongoing.
Since California is a community property state, both spouses have equal ownership of the marital estate. To try to gain an advantage when dividing the marital wealth, one spouse may hide assets from the other. This is not simply a stalling tactic, it is illegal.
However, it can take time to uncover any hidden assets, and return them for division.
When one spouse refuses to settle a divorce case, it is often the result of not getting what he or she wants. If he or she believes they are entitled to a larger share of the estate, or a bigger chunk of parenting time, they will simply refuse to settle. Once the other gives in, either through the lack of patience or willingness to just move on, the case can continue to its final stages.
When one spouse refuses to give up on the marriage — either because he or she simply does not want to get divorced or struggles with the reality of the circumstances — he or she may delay the process for as long as possible in the hope the other spouse changes their mind.
In other cases, one spouse simply does not want to deal with the reality that he or she will have to return to work, live in a smaller home, or give up a lusher life when the proceedings end.
If you believe your spouse is dragging out your divorce for any reason, we can help you move things along by scheduling a free consultation today by calling (310) 745-8644.
At the Harris Family Group, our Los Angeles divorce attorneys collaborate with clients using flat fees, instead of billable hours, which allows you to plan your expenditures upfront, so you can have confidence in your financial future.
