A person can get a divorce in Florida in as little as three weeks or it can take as long as two years, depending on the circumstances.  In Florida, a judge must wait twenty days from the date the petition for dissolution of marriage is filed before he or she can enter the final judgment. A typical uncontested divorce, one where the parties essentially agree on everything, can be concluded within about three months. If the divorce is contested, the estimated time to completion is in the range of six to twelve months. Although most cases are contested, only a small percentage actually go to trial. Most parties settle at mediation, although it can take several mediation conferences before the final settlement is reached. For those few cases that go to trial, the anticipated time to conclusion ranges from twelve to eighteen months. The main reason for the delay in getting to trial is that the Florida Legislature hasn’t funded a new judgeship in approximately seven years, despite significant population growth over that same period. To put it mildly, our family law judges are over-worked.

At Rice Law Firm, we strive to resolve each of our client’s cases expeditiously, inexpensively and amicably.