How Long Do I Have to Wait to Get Divorced if Recently Married?

If you have just recently married and want to get a divorce, talk to a family law attorney

Getting married can be a wonderful thing. And while some newlyweds may be in the honeymoon phase for weeks or months (or years!) to come, others may find that their relationship does not hold any marital bliss. For those in this latter category, divorce may feel like the best option, even if the marriage only recently occurred. Here is what you need to know about getting a divorce after only recently being married.

Annulment in Texas

Depending on the circumstances of your marriage and your situation, an annulment may be possible. Unlike a divorce, an annulment is a civil action where a judge rules that the marriage is invalid, thereby essentially undoing it; it will be as though the marriage never happened. There are a few different grounds under which a person can file for an annulment in Texas. These include if a spouse was married under the age of 18, if a spouse was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the marriage, if either spouse is impotent and the impotence is permanent, if a spouse entered the marriage under fraud or duress, if a spouse entered the mental capacity to enter the marriage, if a spouse lied about a prior divorce, or if the spouses were married within 72 hours of the marriage license being issued and the petition for annulment is filed within 30 days of the marriage.

Waiting Period for a Divorce

Of course, not all marriages qualify for an annulment.

If spouses have not been married for very long at all and if an annulment is not possible, the good news is that the divorce may be fairly straightforward. This is because if the marriage happened recently, it is more likely that the spouses do not have many marital/community assets or children. As such, the divorce settlement may be very simple and agreed upon by both parties. Uncontested divorces are quicker and easier than contested divorces.

That being said, there is a 60-day waiting period for the vast majority of divorces in Texas, even when spouses are in agreement.

And, of course, if the divorce is contested, which means that the parties do not agree about how to settle the divorce, or if there are shared children, then the process will mirror that of a traditional divorce, regardless of how recently the marriage occurred.

Call Our Pearland Texas Divorce Lawyers Today

If you have questions about divorce and what your options are when you are seeking a divorce, our lawyers can help. Even if you have been recently married, if divorce is on your mind, we are here to answer your questions and give you an overview of your options. Please reach out to our lawyers by phone or online today to learn more about annulment, contested divorces, uncontested divorces, and more.