Going through a divorce can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure how long the process will take. In Missouri, the time it takes depends on whether both spouses agree on the terms or if there are disagreements that need to be settled.
Step-by-Step Look at the Timeline
- Meeting the Basic Requirements
Before you can file, at least one spouse must have lived in Missouri for 90 days. - Filing for Divorce
Once you meet the residency rule, you can file divorce papers in your local court. - Notifying Your Spouse
Your spouse must be officially informed about the divorce. This step can happen quickly if they agree to accept the papers. - 30-Day Waiting Period
Missouri law requires couples to wait at least 30 days after filing before the divorce can be finalized.
If Both Spouses Agree (Uncontested Divorce)
When both people agree on things like child custody, property, and finances, the process is faster. These types of divorces can sometimes be completed in 60 to 90 days, depending on how busy the court is and how quickly the paperwork is finished.
If There Are Disagreements (Contested Divorce)
If the couple can’t agree on certain issues, the case may take longer. This type of divorce might involve exchanging documents, attending mediation, or going to court. A contested divorce can take 6 months to over a year, depending on how complex the case is.
After the Judge Signs
Even after a judge approves the divorce, there’s a short waiting period (about 30 days) before everything becomes final. After that, both people must follow through on what the court decided, such as dividing property or making support payments.
What Can Affect the Timeline?
- How complicated the situation is
- Whether there are kids involved
- How busy the court is
- How quickly paperwork is completed
- Whether both people are willing to cooperate
- Talk to a Local Law Firm That Can Help
Every divorce is different. Whether it’s simple or more complicated, it’s helpful to talk to someone who knows the process and can make sure everything is done correctly.
If you’re thinking about divorce or already in the middle of it, our team at Kranitz, Sadoun & Carpenter, PC in St. Joseph, Missouri, is here to help. We have been serving families for over 100 years and can guide you through each step of the process. You don’t have to figure it out alone, reach out to our experienced team today.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ญ๐ข๐ธ๐บ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ญ๐บ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ช๐ด๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ช ๐ญ๐ข๐ธ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ค๐ฆ. ๐๐ฐ๐ณ ๐จ๐ถ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ข ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ.
ย