Inside the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, you can gawk at an SR-71 Blackbird, a spy plane that redefined “fast.” Imagine going from California to Virginia in just over an hour. But can you get an uncontested divorce in Virginia that fast? Not quite, but you can do some things to zip through the process.

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The Virginia Divorce Process

In the hands of an experienced, well-versed family law attorney, you can go from separation to final divorce decree in Virginia in as little as seven months. Yes, you need a calendar, not a stopwatch, but within the legal system that is blazing fast.

Let’s break the process down into measurable steps:

  1. Agree with your exiting spouse that you both want an uncontested, no-fault divorce
  2. The calendar starts with separation, which must be a minimum of six months (if you have no children from the marriage) or 12 months (if you have children)
  3. During the separation period, work with your attorney and spouse or spouse’s attorney to settle five important areas: child custody, child support, spousal support, property division, and visitation
  4. Submit the right paperwork to the Virginia Circuit Court with jurisdiction over your case, demonstrating a desire to pursue the uncontested, no-fault divorce
  5. Within as little as a month to as long as three months, receive the final decree of divorce

If you read carefully, you can see that the ideal path to the fastest Virginia divorce has these features:

  • A no-fault, uncontested divorce
  • No children from the marriage
  • An efficient Circuit Court
  • A top-notch attorney representing you

With that combination, the divorce can be over and done in about seven months. Six months’ separation period, and roughly 30 days for the Court to act.

If things align differently, you could need as much as 15 months. That timeline is built from 12 months’ separation with children and an additional three months for the Court to prepare the final divorce decree.

Moving Things Along

You may never get the chance to sit inside an SR-71 Blackbird (the last one flew in 1999, for NASA), but you can experience a fast divorce in Virginia. You have to do some work to make it happen:

  • Wisely, carefully select a family law attorney with a proven track record of getting the job done
  • Encourage your spouse to move the case along by agreeing on most aspects of the divorce
  • Keep lines of communication open between you, your attorney, your spouse, and your spouse’s attorney
  • Use the waiting period (six months or a year) to get things done, like court filings, negotiations, and documents
  • Agree on as much as possible so that the property settlement agreement is a reliable guide to the divorce itself

Divorce with Children

If a quick divorce is your goal, you benefit from having no children involved. That does not mean you should plan your marriage around the idea of a quick divorce. If you and your spouse have children, the additional six months of separation is not a punishment. The full year’s separation in an uncontested divorce is meant to be used constructively to:

  • Help your children adjust to separation and divorce
  • Give both spouses time to attend parenting education classes if the court orders them
  • Establish a workable parenting plan

In pursuing separation and divorce, neither parent should place any physical or mental burden on the children. Your jobs as parents continue to be to protect them, to nurture them, and to do what is in their best interests. Lamenting the full year of separation in front of your kids is really, really bad parenting. Never let them hear you talk about how fast the uncontested divorce is, or how much faster it could have been without them!

Approaching the Finish

The interior of the quartz canopy of an SR-71 Blackbird became so hot in flight, pilots and reconnaissance officers could warm up hot dogs just by holding them against the canopy. Your uncontested divorce cannot be allowed to heat up (as in disagreements) but it must heat up (as in percolate along during the separation period).

If you and your spouse sit back and let time pass, you could find yourselves at the end of the separation period but still unable to present all necessary documents to the Court. Your attorney is your best field guide to navigating all the steps. If you feel some heat from your lawyer, you probably need to pick up the pace. Resolve every little and big detail with your departing spouse. Leave nothing to chance. And keep an eye on the calendar!

You can put your Virginia divorce on the fast track by working with experienced attorneys specializing in family law. Contact The Firm For Men today or telephone our Virginia Beach office at (757) 383-9184. Since we work exclusively with Virginia’s men, we can make sure you are properly represented. We will get all the paperwork filed correctly and at the right time. And we will protect your rights, financial future, and peace of mind.