The “cooling off period” is the shortest amount of time that a divorce can take in Texas. From the date the initial divorce petition (the document that starts the process and notifies the divorce court that a divorce is requested) is filed, there is a mandatory 60-day waiting period before the divorce may be finalized. Usually this applies only to agreed divorces, where the spouses have agreed prior to filing the divorce as to all of the terms of the divorce as to children and property. More often, the spouses do not agree, causing the divorce to take a much longer amount of time (and money). How long (and how much) depends on many, many factors. The complexity of the contested issues is definitely a factor – custody, relocation of the children beyond the county of the divorce, special needs of the children, complex property division, premarital agreements, spousal maintenance/alimony, etc. So, if the parties cannot agree on some issues and require the divorce judge to resolve their dispute, a final trial must be requested. Some counties’ dockets are so overcrowded with contested trials that parties must wait a long time to get a setting – some counties this may be 6 months to a year! The shortest time frame for an agreed divorce in Texas is 60 days, plus a few days to get to the courthouse and finalize everything. The longest divorce that I have ever seen lasted 10 years, including many years challenging the decision of the divorce judge on appeal!