Timeline to discuss and decide matters in divorce mediation
Within days of a free consultation about divorce mediation, spouses may discuss and decide terms of divorce with help from a mediator. These and other issues may be decided right away in divorce mediation:
If divorcing wives and husbands choose to go slower, that is okay too. In a mediation divorce, spouses may take as much time as they need to discuss matters and sign legal documents.
A divorce decree is a court document that changes the marital status of spouses. Pennsylvania law sets time limits on how quickly divorcing husbands and wives may get a decree.
The shortest time to get a Pennsylvania divorce decree is:
90 days after filing and service of a divorce pleading, or
20 days after filing and service of a divorce pleading if spouses lived separate and apart for at least one year.
Add an extra 3 to 10 weeks (varies by Pennsylvania county) for filing the paperwork and processing the decree.
Dann Johns, Divorce Mediator & Attorney
An entire mediation divorce that includes discussing and deciding topics, signing Pennsylvania legal documents, and getting a Pennsylvania divorce decree can be completed in my office.
If divorcing couples choose to take more time before consenting to a decree, that is okay. Some husbands and wives choose to stay married beyond the waiting periods listed above to continue marital health insurance benefits, to file taxes jointly, or for personal reasons.
In my office, a free consultation can happen within days of a request. Because my law practice is limited to mediation divorce, I am focused and efficient. I take pride in attending to all matters promptly.