Divorce has no deadline, which means your spouse can drag out your California divorce for months or years on end, depending on your specific circumstances. Divorces can and do go smoothly when both spouses want the divorce or at least are willing to work together to complete the process as soon as possible.
Many times, however, this isn’t the case, which can result in a divorce getting dragged out for many years in family court. It can take more resources and add stress the longer a divorce takes, but the right lawyer can help things move along efficiently whenever possible.
Why is My Spouse Dragging Out The Divorce?
In most cases, divorces can take longer than normal because one of the spouses is deliberately delaying the divorce process. A spouse (usually a vindictive or controlling one) may try to drag out a divorce for various reasons, such as:
They simply do not want to get divorced. In such cases, the spouse is intentionally delaying the divorce because they are hoping that their spouse will come around and change their mind.
They are bitter and controlling. In some cases, a spouse drags out the process because they want their soon-to-be ex-spouse to suffer a painful and long divorce. Unfortunately, this is very common in cases where the supposedly submissive spouse is the one that filed the divorce.
They do not have the financial means to finalize the divorce or want to hurt the finances of their spouse. This usually happens in cases where the delaying spouse doesn’t have the money or doesn’t want to make child support or spousal support payments yet. Some spiteful spouses also drag out the divorce because they want their spouse to waste more money on legal fees. In extreme cases, the spouse loses their attorney because they go bankrupt.
Whatever reason your spouse has for dragging out your divorce, there are certain actions you can take to get the divorce back on track.
What Can I Do If My Spouse is Delaying The Divorce?
If you are struggling with an uncooperative spouse, a California divorce lawyer will know what to do to get things moving again. They can request a hearing with the judge to talk about the hurdles your spouse is forcing on you. If the judge is convinced that your argument has merit, they could order your stubborn spouse to do certain things, such as:
- Require them to pay temporary support payments for your child or yourself until you finalize the divorce.
- Require them to pay your legal fees for delaying the proceedings.
- Charge them with contempt if they do not follow the court orders.
Speak to a Skilled Divorce Attorney in California
If you need help getting your divorce back on track, the California divorce attorney at Bamieh & De Smeth is here to help. You do not have to suffer your spouse’s controlling and delaying tactics any longer. To find out what our California divorce attorney can do for your specific case, please call our office at 805-643-5555 or send us a message online to set up your free case review.
