How long do I have to wait for my divorce to be final?

Six months and one day is the earliest possible time the marital status of the parties can be terminated. This time period begins when the Respondent is served with the Summons and Petition or when the Respondent appears before the court, whichever occurs first. The marital status will not terminate automatically (a party must first serve a copy of his/her financial disclosure documents on the other party and file the final paperwork with the court before the marital status can be terminated). Sometimes six months is not enough time for parties to resolve all of the issues in their case. In such situations, parties can file for a ‘status only’ judgment which allows the marital status to terminate before the other issues in the case are resolved.