In divorce cases in Colorado there is a 91-day waiting period between when a new divorce case petition is served on the other party and when the Decree of Dissolution of Marriage can be entered. While a marriage can be done at a moment’s notice, a divorce case always takes at least 91 days from start to finish.

Sometimes divorce cases settle quickly; that is, the parties can come to an agreement on all issues and all of the necessary filings can be done before the 91-day period ends. In that situation, the parties usually just need to wait until the waiting period ends.

However, some divorce cases can take a lot longer. Usually this is because there are disputed issues, and the case needs to be heard by a judge or magistrate at a contested hearing. In such a case, the divorce case can last much longer than the 91-day waiting period.

One of the challenges of a divorce case is to resolve disputes so that the case avoids progessing to a final hearing. When a case settles out of court, the parties can save themselves a great deal of time and money.