Mike Newman is blind. Mike Newman drives boats, cars, and trucks. Mike Newman sets Guinness Records driving them. Still, we would not advise asking Mike Newman to represent you in a Virginia divorce. He’s 1) not an attorney and 2) not a Virginian. We can, however, advise you on a baker’s dozen of ways to speed up your Virginia divorce.

Quick Divorce Tips 1 Thru 5

To pursue a speedy Virginia divorce, try these first five tips:

  1. Have cash on hand — Every type of Virginia divorce comes with a price tag; the more money you have tucked away before an initial consultation, the faster the process will go, because you do not have to wait hours or days for money to move around
  2. Know Virginia divorce law — Ignore bad advice from good friends; actually knowing Virginia divorce code forestalls endless educating lectures from your lawyer, the court clerk, and judge
  3. Work with, not against, your spouse — Yes, you may have lots of reasons to resent, dislike, or even loathe your spouse, but to get divorced expediently, the two of you need to work together, so keep open, affable lines of communication
  4. Know what you want before talking to a lawyer — Work with your departing spouse ahead of any consultation to lay out all the particulars you two can think of, especially in the five areas of potential contention (child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and parenting time scheduling)
  5. Make the most of every legal consultation — Prepare an elevator pitch to use on prospective attorneys so you get your point across in a neutral tone and then let your possible lawyer explain the possibilities; even if you do not go with a particular lawyer, you can learn a lot from that initial consultation

Quick Divorce Tips 6 To 8

Once you have brushed up on Virginia legal basics (#2, details of which you might learn from consulting potential lawyers, #5), choose the fastest divorce path:

  1. Uncontested divorce — When both spouses agree on all the major areas of a divorce, with neither spouse objecting emotionally or legally, the divorce moves along at maximum speed
  2. No-fault divorce — When you both walk away without accusing the other of vile behavior, you both quickly get on with your lives
  3. Two-attorney divorce — To get from separation through final decree the fastest, forget DIY forms and online divorce outfits; each of you deserves and needs your own attorney looking out for your best interests and preventing foolish, time-wasting mistakes

Quick Divorce Tips 9 – 13

A watched pot never boils (true, at least on the quantum level). Your divorce will move along day by day, but have some realistic expectations of the process:

  1. Separation comes before divorce — You and your soon-to-be-gone spouse have to separate before you can divorce, and that separation can take as much as a year
  2. Children are speed bumps — You two can divorce after being separated for only six months, if you have no kids
  3. Stay put — Moving within Virginia or out of state clutters up the jurisdictional issues, so both of you should stay put, each in your own space
  4. Divorce is the gift of patience — Learning patience through divorce can be a brisk, bolstering benefit, since the time will seem to pass faster if you take things in stride or meditate
  5. Mouthpiece — Let your lawyer do almost all the talking, in writing, conferences, negotiations, and court; when the parting parties start talking, everything screeches to a halt for the Airing of Grievances, Itemizing of Irritations, and Lengthy Lists of Losses

Talk it Out with Your Virginia Attorney

The fastest start to a Virginia divorce is to talk to a family law attorney with plenty of experience. When you work with someone you trust, you do not need to waste time second-guessing every step. You can move from consultation to separation to divorce at the fastest pace the law allows.

Bring a batch of prepared questions to every meeting. Write down answers. Avoid the scattershot method (one question Monday, another two questions Wednesday). Do your own reading. But talk it out, both with your spouse and with your own attorney.

When talking to your attorney, expect to hear the important phrase, “uncontested, no-fault divorce” as the express route to divorce.

Remember time is literally money during your exchanges, whether by text, email, telephone, or in person. Do not editorialize, keep your life story to yourself, and do not bash your spouse.

No matter the form of communication, avoid endlessly regurgitating the reasons for the divorce (every divorce attorney has heard every reason a thousand times before you). Get in, lay out your case, and get out.

Pay attention to every exchange, and if your attorney steers you toward a particular corner of the law (Code of Virginia comes up a lot), read up on it. The more you know, the faster things will go.

The Firm For Men is here, patiently waiting to work for you, Virginia’s men. Contact us online right now online or call us at 757-383-9184 today. We keep your divorce moving along, using every moment to protect your rights, strengthen your financial future, and preserve your relationship with your children.