From Hire to Final Judgment in 7 Days: A High-Asset Uncontested Divorce

This case is a good example of how fast an uncontested divorce can move when both spouses walk in already agreeing on everything. As with the firm's other uncontested cases, the case was filed under a written venue agreement both spouses signed, in a county where uncontested cases are routinely resolved without a hearing regardless of where the spouses actually live. From the day the couple hired the firm to the day the Final Judgment was entered took 7 days.

The marriage had meaningful assets to divide, but the division itself was simple because the couple had already worked it out between themselves. Each spouse kept the vehicle already in their possession — one an older sedan, one a newer SUV — with the spouse keeping the financed vehicle taking over sole responsibility for the remaining loan balance. Each spouse kept their own retirement account outright, with no division or QDRO required; the accounts were of noticeably different sizes, but neither spouse asked for an offset. Each spouse also kept responsibility for the credit card debt already in their own name, rather than trying to net it against other assets.

One asset needed a more careful approach: a home one spouse had purchased before the marriage. Because it was acquired pre-marriage and titled solely in that spouse's name, it qualified as separate, non-marital property — not subject to division at all. Confirming that up front avoided any ambiguity in the settlement agreement about what was and wasn't on the table.

The couple also agreed to a property equalization payment — a lump sum paid from one spouse to the other, split into two installments. Structuring this as a property settlement rather than alimony matters because a property settlement isn't modifiable later based on a change in income or circumstances. Both spouses waived alimony outright and agreed each would cover their own attorney's fees.

Once the agreement was drafted to reflect these terms, both spouses reviewed it, signed and notarized it through a single online notary session, and the case was filed the next day. The court entered the Final Judgment 5 days after filing — a reminder that in a no-hearing uncontested process, the bottleneck is almost never the court. It's how quickly the two spouses can agree on terms.