A divorce in San Antonio, Texas typically takes anywhere from 61 days to 1.5 years.
For purposes of this post, use the elevator as your visual aid. The more stops on the elevator you take, the longer the entire ride is going to be.
LEVEL 1: File the petition.
LEVEL 2: Serve your spouse.
LEVEL 3: Request temporary orders and for terms of your divorce that will cause high levels of emotions in your spouse. Warning: this is slowing down your elevator.
LEVEL 4: Your spouse files an answer with even more things that they want back from you in this divorce.
LEVEL 5: Now get ready for temporary orders with your lawyer.
LEVEL 6: Ask for a reset on the hearing.
LEVEL 7: Go to the temporary orders hearing.
LEVEL 8: Exchange Disclosures.
LEVEL 9: Request more items to be disclosed
LEVEL 10: File a Motion and set a hearing because you did not get all of the items that you wanted.
LEVEL 11: They file a Motion to get items from you.
LEVEL 12: Finally exchange discovery.
LEVEL 13: Now exchange sworn inventories
LEVEL 14: Try to settle but fail to.
LEVEL 14: Now set a motion to mediate the final hearing.
LEVEL 15: Now go to the mediation. But fail to settle the case.
LEVEL 16: Set the case for a final trial.
LEVEL 17: Prepare for the final trial.
LEVEL 18: Try to settle but fail to.
LEVEL 19: Go to the final trial.
LEVEL 20: Draft closing documents
Just think, you could skip all of the levels except LEVEL 1 and LEVEL 20, if you had settled before you jumped onto the elevator.
So, how long does the divorce take? It takes longer, the more levels your case calls for. The key is to avoid the levels and try to instead to part as friends.