The more you and your spouse are able to reach agreements in your divorce, the sooner you will be able to actually complete your divorce in Wisconsin. It takes a minimum of 120 days from the date of service of the divorce pleadings to the divorce date, assuming all issues are resolved, including custody and placement, child support, maintenance, property division, allocation of debts, taxes, and income tax exemptions, and more. If there are major issues in your case requiring appraisals and evaluations for property or social service studies and/or psychological evaluations in placement cases, the completion of divorce in Wisconsin will be substantially longer than the 120-day minimum.
Courts are also overwhelmed with cases, and scheduling can be a big problem. Sometimes cases are scheduled many months in advance. Attorneys are also often booked into the future, so there is no sure way to answer the question “how long does completion of divorce in Wisconsin take?”.
There are many things you can do to expedite the divorce. Promptly respond to your attorney’s requests for documentation. Complete your requested information as comprehensively as possible. Make your divorce a top priority so your schedule does not get in the way of completing the divorce. Be an active participant in appraisals and evaluations.
Talk to your divorce attorney or family law attorney or custody/placement attorney about a potential timeline for your divorce. That can only be completed after a full discussion of the issues.
For more information, or for a free consultation, contact the attorneys at Vanden Heuvel & Dineen S.C. offices, which include Germantown, West Bend, Milwaukee, Appleton, Sister Bay, and Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Call 1-800-805-1976 to schedule your case evaluation. You will also find additional insight and information in Attorney Linda S. Vanden Heuvel’s recently published book, Divorce in Wisconsin: The Legal Process, Your Rights, and What to Expect.
