Phoenix, AZ - The ideal situation for any separating couple is to be able to walk away from their marriage as quickly as possible. This can result in much less wasted time and money when it happens. However, there are some situations that can cause a divorce to take years to resolve. This is more likely to happen based on certain factors that tend to coincide with drawn out arguments, court battles, and negotiations. If time is a concern in any divorce, each party to the marriage should get their own attorney and start to plan accordingly for these possibilities. Child custody disputes

Woman tossing happy child in the air; image by Thiago Cerqueira, via Unsplash.com.

A couple that does not have any children at all can skip child custody and support issues completely. However, if the couple has multiple children, or if there are arguments over custody that take time to resolve, matters related to children are going to be a point of contention. Both parents will obviously want to maximize their custody time, however the judge assigned to the case has the final say and some parents will try to do whatever they can through the legal process to have primary custody. Large amounts of shared property and assetsCouples may have multiple pieces of property, joint business interests, and other shared assets. This is more likely to be true if the couple was married a long time, they are affluent, or they have lots of property that is classified as marital. The property division phase is usually considered to be the longest aspect of a divorce.  Processes before filingSome couples may attend counseling, try to live in a legal separation arrangement, and make other attempts to save or slowly end their marriage. In some situations, a legal separation may be financially beneficial and allow both spouses to remain insured. However, other attempts to save a failing marriage can end up being costly and time consuming, especially if the couple ends up divorcing anyway.No ability to settleIf a couple can enter mediation talks and walk away with a settlement agreement, their marriage can be formally ended by a judge shortly afterward. However, some spouses are unwilling to do this, and others may try to negotiate for some time to no avail if talks break down. An uncontested divorce with a settlement agreement is always the quickest way to move beyond a marriage. More information from a local divorce attorneyThere are lawyers in Phoenix who work with people who are about to get divorced. Schneider and Onofry is an experienced family law practice in Arizona.