How long does it take to get a divorce in Maryland?
Di Goodman
Maryland managing attorney at Marble Law
Key Takeaways
- In Maryland, uncontested divorces tend to be finalized in months compared to contested divorces, which can take up to two years.
- Maryland has no mandatory waiting period between filing and finalizing the divorce.
Divorce in Maryland can take anywhere from a few months to more than two years from start to finish. Certain factors often make a divorce process require more time or go faster.
- Contested vs. uncontested divorce: If you and your spouse can reach an agreement on all terms of the divorce (such as property division, child custody and spousal support), you have an uncontested divorce. These tend to take a few months to resolve. But if you disagree on even one issue, you have a contested divorce, which may take up to two years or longer. This is because you’ll likely have to go to trial and have a judge make a determination of the issues that are disputed.
- Marital assets: All marital property must be divided in some way. Couples with more complex finances—such as a business, real estate or investments—need to determine the value of those assets and whether each is a marital asset that has to be divided.
- Children: If there are minor children, custody, access and child support must be agreed upon or determined by the court.
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Although Maryland has no waiting period between when you file for divorce and when your case can be finalized, you do have to meet residency requirements. For some, this can add time to your divorce, because the state requires that one party must have been a resident of the state six months prior to the divorce filing.
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