How long it takes to get divorced in Las Vegas specifically, and in Nevada in general, depends mostly on the spouses and the process they use. This assumes that at least one spouse already meets the residency requirement by having lived in Nevada for six weeks.
On the quick side, Mr. Spradling often works with couples together to help them work out the terms of their divorce. It usually takes about a week to prepare and find a time to meet, and in simple cases only a single day to work out the terms. Most of the time the paperwork is drafted and signed that day, filed the next, and it takes about a week (depending on the judge) to have the paperwork signed and approved. If everyone is ready to move forward amicably, then it might be only two weeks from initial contact to signed decree.
Alternatives to litigation are almost always quicker than actual litigation. For instance, a collaborative divorce, with each side having an attorney and often utilizing experts for the finances and the children, generally aims to resolve the issues within six months.
For litigation, there are some fixed deadlines.
After the initial complaint is served by the plaintiff, the defendant has 21 days to respond (or risk a default);
If the defendant's answer includes a counterclaim, the plaintiff has 21 days to respond (or risk a default);
After this, the court will usually schedule a case management conference about two months later. At the case management conference, the court will usually set a trial date. The trial date is usually six months to a year further out.
Adding up the time for the complaint/answer/final response, the case management conference, and the final trial, most divorce cases take a little more than a year. There are certainly no guarantees though: sometimes (although rarely) a divorce case may be get to trial in as early as six months, and sometimes a divorce case may take considerably longer if there is extensive discovery and complicated issues. There are horror stories of the rare divorce case that takes three to five years to get to trial.
Usually a trial ends the matter. Sometimes, however, one side or the other may appeal. An appeal can extend the litigation for several more years. If the appeal is successful, there may have to be a new trial date set, and the decision from the new trial may also be appealed.
On the bright side, if the spouses can come to a settlement, at any point, the litigation can stop and everyone can get on with their lives. Almost all cases end in a settlement - its usually just a question of when.
The Momentum Law Group litigates cases for exactly as long as it needs to achieve a clients goals. Our job is to give clients honest advice as to the strength of any claims and the likely outcome at trial. The client is always in control over whether or not to accept any settlement and thus end the litigation.