Monday, July 29, 2013

How to Divorce -- Timing



Why is my divorce taking so long? 

            Being in the middle of a divorce is never a fun experience and it seems to last forever.   While most individuals would like a divorce to end quickly there are several factors that can lengthen out a divorce.  These factors include the following:

1)         The type and complexity of the contested issues.  When custody is the issue, the divorce usually takes longer as a child custody evaluator may need to be involved.  Self-employed spouses also increase the time of a divorce due to the necessity to conduct complex discovery to determine the actual income.

2)         How quickly the parties agree to and schedule a mediator.  Mediation is required in Utah and should be scheduled as soon as the parties make their initial disclosures, including a Financial Declaration. 

3)         The intensity of feelings between the parties and whether there is an inclination to settle.  This tends to be the factor that drags out a divorce especially when there has been infidelity.  Unfortunately for the parties, the lawyers tend to benefit most from this type of litigation as their fees increase significantly without having to add too much substantive work. This is especially true in states (like Utah) where mediation is required as the actual mediation tends to be a waste of time, but the lawyers still get paid.

4)         The tenacity and desire for litigation of the lawyer of your spouse. Some lawyers just like to litigate and lose focus on the parties and finding a workable solution for the parties.  This is often unfortunate in a divorce with children as the parties will have to deal with each for years to come and the lawyer walks away.  Care must be taken in the selection of an attorney to make sure that if you are inclined to work out a resolution, you should find an attorney who is willing to do so as well.

4)         Utah has a 90-day waiting period that can only be waived under certain circumstances. 

For more information please visit Attorney Drew at www.attorneydrew.com

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