Divorce – along with being hard – can be a slow process. However, it doesn’t always move at a snail’s pace. The reason why divorces can take so long can vary from case to case. For instance, trying to get a divorce without a divorce attorney may be tempting, but it can cause delays due to incomplete paperwork or minimal knowledge of legal matters. Here are the top things that might be slowing down this painful process.

Common Causes Of Divorce Delays

You’re Going For Contested Divorce

One of the main reasons why your divorce could be delayed is the type of divorce you’re going for. When it comes a divorce, the most common type of divorce is an uncontested divorce. However, some couples can go for a contested divorce and this is their first mistake.

These divorces are naturally quite lengthy and they can take up to a year or more to proceed and finalize which is a lot. Usually, a divorce process can take anywhere between 4 to 6 months to get finalized, but with an uncontested divorce, there is a lot of back and forth because both spouses need to be on the same page and that only happens once in a blue moon.

This is why you should always go for an uncontested divorce, since it is quicker, it is way easier to manage and you’ll be out of the court in months with no confrontation or anything of that sort.

The Acknowledgement Is Refused

The acknowledgment of divorce is the step in any divorce process. The acknowledgment is basically a formal document that informs one spouse that the other is filing for divorce. Usually, when the acknowledgment is sent over to the other party, they have a time window of 14 days to reply to this. If they don’t, then this can cause a considerable delay in the divorce process.

You can’t expect things to go smoothly when the acknowledgment and its reply is delayed. So, you want to ensure that you’re stressing the fact that the other party needs to reply within the allocated time to avoid getting into trouble.

You Don’t Cooperate

Divorces are never easy. They can turn messy and they can be a huge downpour of your emotions and everything else in between. This is what can lead to tremendous delays in divorce. You guys can or cannot be on the same page and that is something that is going to affect the divorce process a lot.

This is why you want to ensure that you guys meet in the middle. It doesn’t mean that you have to say yes to everything the other party says and vice versa. It simply means to figure out solutions to the problems in a cordial way, however, that can happen less often.

There Is An Issue With Asset Division

Asset division can be simple or it can be complex, depending on where you are getting divorced. Every state and even every country will have a completely different policy and laws when it comes to asset division. This is why you want to do your research correctly.

You want things to flow smoothly and you don’t want any unnecessary delays when it comes to asset division. This is where cooperation being on the same page and simpler division laws work.

Child Custody Is Involved

With children and child custody, things will also experience delays. Because now, you don’t just have to think about getting a divorce and parting ways with your spouse. It also means that you have to sort the situation of the kids out and that takes a lot of time.

There are back-and-forth court meetings, the evaluation of children and parents, and many things that lead to a clear and unproblematic child custody proceeding. This is why you want to get things started as soon as you can and hire a child custody attorney Fairfax VA because if you don’t then you’re the one who will be late.

There Is Bad Blood

Marriages are usually based on love and respect, but splits and divorces are anything but pleasant at times. That is not to say that they’re not pleasant. However, if there is resentment between the couple, then it is going to show in the divorce proceedings and things are going to be late.

This is why it is always recommended that if you don’t have a good relationship with your spouse and you guys are getting a divorce, then you should do it in the easiest and most stress-free way possible. Choose an amicable or uncontested divorce. This is going to lead to less drama and fewer delays in the long run.

Mistakes In Paperwork

You will be surprised at how many times a divorce proceeding can be put on hold because there are so many errors in the paperwork. It can be something as simple as the spelling of your name or it can be a huge one like your marriage date or even your entire asset value. This is why you need to hire a good lawyer who won’t make such mistakes.

Getting a good lawyer doesn’t only mean that your case is in good hands. It also means that there is less probability of petty mistakes, which is something that can lead to delays, believe it or not.

Refusal To End The Marriage

There are also times when certain spouses think that they can save their marriage. If one spouse is adamant about ending the marriage, while the other one is dead set on making things work, then it’s a very confusing limbo and things are going to stay stagnant for a long time until this issue is resolved.

Therefore, it’s important for couples to be on the same page when it comes to deciding to get a divorce. These things need to be talked out first and then things should proceed in a somewhat amicable way.

Volatile Relationship

If you guys don’t have the best relationship, and are always arguing or never on good terms, then getting a divorce will be a mean feat. Half the battle of divorce and getting it done on time is to have a somewhat amicable relationship with one another even after a divorce.

This is why, if you have resentment towards your spouse for infidelity or something else, then things are going to take long and there will be a lot of confrontation along the way.

One Spouse Can’t Be Located

If you guys have been separated for a long time and you’re now finally filing for a divorce, you can run into another problem. Your spouse can’t be located. This is hard especially if you’re going for a divorce in which the acknowledgement has to be served to the spouse.

This is going to take long because first you have to track your spouse down and then things can proceed. This is why you want to go for an uncomplicated type of divorce in which the spouse’s presence is not mandatory.

Conclusion

Now that you know what things usually slow down a divorce process, you want to ensure that you don’t do them because it will only be better for you in the long run. Hire an experienced divorce lawyer Fairfax VA who can help you avoid roadblocks and get a quicker divorce.