If you are thinking about divorce, you may wonder how long it will take.

The honest answer is that it depends. Some divorces move quickly, while others take longer because of the issues involved. Support, child custody, property division, appraisals, retirement accounts, business records, and court scheduling can all affect the timeline. An uncooperative spouse can also cause delays by avoiding service, delaying paperwork, or refusing to provide information.

This article explains what usually happens after you hire me and we file a divorce complaint in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It also covers some key timelines built into the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, what discovery is, and why it matters so much.

Start with a plan

After you hire me, we plan. That means gathering basic information, identifying urgent issues, and deciding what needs to happen first.

At this stage, I usually want to know:

• where each party lives,
• parties’ income,
• what assets and debts exist,
• whether the house will be retained by one party or sold,
• who has custody of minor children,
• whether financial support will be requested and by whom,
• whether there are retirement accounts, pensions, stock options, or business interests,
• and whether we should expect a fight over money, financial records, or custody of children.

This early planning matters because divorce is not just one event. It is a series of steps, and each step affects the next one.

Step 1: File the divorce complaint

Filing the Divorce Complaint and paying the court’s filing fee invites the court to help you. The Divorce Complaint may include claims for child custody, equitable distribution of marital assets and debts, spousal support, alimony pendente lite and alimony, counsel fees, costs and expenses, and other claims, depending upon your situation.  Support and alimony pendente lite should also be filed with your County’s Domestic Relations Office to effectively pursue those claims. 

Step 2: Serve the divorce complaint

After filing, the complaint must be properly served upon your spouse.  Proof of proper service must be filed. This is important because some divorce deadlines run from the date of service rather than filing.

Timing of service may range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the method of service you choose. If your spouse avoids service or is hard to find, your case may be delayed.

Step 3: Required waiting periods (90-days - 1 year)

In Pennsylvania, a no-fault divorce usually moves forward in one of two ways based upon grounds for divorce.

Mutual consent divorce

If both spouses consent to the divorce, there is a 90-day waiting period after filing and service of the complaint. After that, both spouses may sign and file Affidavits of Consent.

One-year separation

If your spouse will not sign an Affidavit of Consent, you will need to proceed under the one-year separation ground.

After grounds for divorce are established, notice must be given before asking the court to enter a divorce decree or appoint an equitable distribution hearing officer. This creates another 20-day waiting period before filing the Praecipe to Transmit the Record.

Even in an uncontested case, there are built-in waiting periods.

Multiple timelines and moving parts

Some people think divorce is just one simple process. Often it is not.

You may have:

1. the divorce and property case, and
2. the child custody case, and
3. a support case with the Domestic Relations Section of the Court.

You may be dealing with custody and support conferences while the divorce is still moving through service, discovery, and settlement discussions.  Because these matters move on different tracks at different speeds, the overall process can feel slow and expensive, even while progress is being made.

Step 4: Discovery

If there are claims involving property, support, alimony, or other financial issues, discovery is often where the real work happens. Discovery is the process of exchanging information and documents. It helps us understand household income, what assets and debts exist, the value of assets and debts, and what property is marital or non-marital.

Discovery documents may include tax returns, pay stubs, statements for bank, investment and retirement accounts, credit card statements, business records, property appraisals, subpoenas, depositions and sometimes expert reports.

Discovery is important because settlement only works when people have reliable values. Without discovery, people may be guessing about the value of a house, the value of a pension, whether an account is marital, whether income is being underreported, or whether money has been moved or hidden.

With good discovery, you can negotiate from facts instead of fear.

Step 5: Settlement

Most cases do not follow a simple path of file, negotiate, settle, and move on. Real life is often messier.

Usually, settlement discussions happen more than once. New documents are produced. Accounts are updated. Appraisals are completed. Business records may need to be reviewed. Sometimes one spouse drags their feet.

That is normal in many divorce cases. It does not always mean something is wrong. It usually means there are still facts to gather and issues to sort out.

Montgomery County’s current process includes early conferences to manage discovery and encourage settlement, which shows that the court expects cases to progress in stages, and wants to help you move forward.

A simple timeline

Weeks 1–3

You hire counsel. We plan. We prepare, file and serve the complaint. If service is difficult, this may take longer.

Weeks 4–12

We request discovery of income, assets and debts. Documents are exchanged. Support and Child Custody may be addressed on separate tracks. Settlement discussions may begin. 

 

Day 90 after filing and service

In a mutual-consent divorce, this is the earliest point when Affidavits of Consent may be signed.

One year after separation

If one party won’t sign an Affidavit of Consent, you will need to wait a year after separation.

Another 20 days

Unless waivers are filed, there is a 20-day waiting period after service of a Notice of Intention to File the Praecipe to Transmit Record, either requesting that the Court enter a final decree in Divorce (if you have a property settlement agreement), or an Order approving grounds and appointing an Equitable Distribution Hearing Officer.

Beyond that

If the case settles by agreement, final paperwork may move forward quickly.  If not, the case may continue through more discovery, appraisals, pre-trial filings (inventories and pre-trial statements) and hearings. Montgomery County’s Equitable Distribution process reflects that some cases need active management before they are ready to be resolved.

Final thoughts

A realistic divorce timeline is not one date on a calendar. It is a series of steps, and each step depends on what came before it. After you hire me we can work through these steps together.

The goal is not just to finish. It is to move the case forward in a smart, thoughtful and efficient way, so you can make informed decisions to protect yourself and your family.