While ending your marriage is a difficult choice, it may lead you to find inner peace and freedom after being in a relationship that has not served you. The length of a divorce in Southbury can change from one circumstance to the next because of things such as the complexity of your assets, whether you have minor children, and whether you and your soon-to-be-ex agree on legal matters. While you may want to rush through the court process to get it over with, this may not be advisable or possible in your situation.
Our firm understands the struggles you and your family may face as you seek to separate from your spouse and create new, independent lives. Our diligent divorce attorneys have deep knowledge and experience in negotiation and litigation. We are prepared for nearly all situations that may arise during your case and will fight for you throughout the legal process.
Dissolving a marriage in court involves many different stages. People are not only ending their union but also dividing their assets, resolving child custody and support matters, and deciding whether alimony is appropriate. To that end, the first stage of getting a divorce is filing a legal complaint with the appropriate Superior Court. In this document, the petitioner—the person initiating the proceedings—should talk about the spouses, the marriage, and the legal basis for requesting a divorce.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-40 outlines the different grounds for divorce that people can use to ask a judge to end their marriage. For example, someone might allege an irreparable breakdown of the relationship with no chance of reconciliation. Alternatively, the person might show evidence that the other spouse had an illicit affair during the marriage, and this is the reason for the divorce.
Once the spouses initiate the divorce process in Southbury, they need to exchange information about their assets (called the discovery process), which an attorney can help with to shorten the length of the process. They use these details to figure out how to handle property division under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-81 and alimony under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-82. If they have children together, they will also negotiate a child custody and support plan, which they would need to submit to the court for review and approval.
Dissolving a marriage can take months or years, depending on a host of factors such as the amount and type of assets the spouses have, whether they have children together, and whether they agree on certain aspects of the divorce. Likewise, the grounds and process for legally ending a marriage may have certain time restrictions built in as well, which the spouses would need to follow to request a divorce.
If the spouses agree on all matters—e.g., the reason and the logistical plan for no longer staying married to one another—they may qualify to use the uncontested divorce process, as outlined in Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-44a. While this might take less time than other types of Southbury dissolution of marriage proceedings, not everyone is eligible to pursue this option. For example, this process is unavailable to couples with children, who are using a fault-based reason for the divorce, and who were married longer than nine years.
You may wonder how long it takes to end a marriage in Connecticut; however, there is no set amount of time for this to occur because every situation is different and may call for a unique sequence of events. For example, you and your spouse may disagree about how to address child custody, which can lengthen the time it takes to move forward in the dissolution proceedings.
Trying to rush the legal steps to save time may be unadvisable in the long run, though, so consider working with an attorney who can help you take effective and measured steps to protect your rights. Call today to schedule a no-obligation consultation to discuss the length of a divorce in Southbury.
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