In California, there is a six month mandatory waiting period once divorce papers have been filed and served for a marriage to be ended by a divorce judgment. Property, support and child custody matters can be addressed sooner – if resolved consensually – or later, if still in dispute.
The length of a divorce varies greatly case by case. In general, the less you fight the quicker your divorce will be. Most high-net-worth divorces take one to two years to complete by settlement – and longer if by judicial decision. There are often interim matters to be decided along the way. If there are no children, and fewer property and support issues raised, the process is quicker.