I got divorced in Pennsylvania in 2006. At the time, I was fairly ignorant to the specifics of PA divorce law. In July of that year I made a phone call to a lawyer… he sent me some papers… I signed things and sent a check… then I think I signed some other things… and in November I received a sealed divorce decree. The whole process had taken less than four months.
But, as I later learned, my experience wasn’t typical. Over the following years, I met more and more people who waited more than two years for their divorce to be finalized. Curious, I did some digging in an attempt to learn more about PA divorce law, and I learned a bunch of facts about about fault vs no-fault divorce, waiting periods, divorce masters and legal strategy.
At the end of 2016, Pennsylvania made a change to one aspect of the state’s divorce law by shortening the waiting period for a contested no-fault divorce. It used to be two years, now it’s just one. Inspired by this revision, I reached out for some legal information and commentary on the topic. Below is an interview with Jessica Pritchard, a PA-based attorney with the law firm Antheil, Maslow and MacMinn. Press play to hear her clear up some of my questions about divorce in Pennsylvania, and what this change will mean for couples moving through the process…
I think this is overall a good thing. A shorter waiting period will hopefully lead to more personal empowerment and less money spent on a long legal process. It’s a stark contrast from current proposed changes in Texas law to end no-fault divorce.
How about you? Did you get divorced in Pennsylvania? Or are you in the process of a PA divorce? Or somewhere else? What are your thoughts on a shorter waiting period?