The Easiest And Hardest States To Get A Divorce

By Matt Allen

Editor, DadsDivorce.com

If you live in New Hampshire and want a quickie divorce, you’re in luck. But if you live just over the state line in Vermont, then settle in for a long, drawn-out case.

That’s how varied divorce laws are in the U.S. as these two border states rank as the easiest and hardest states, respectively, to get a divorce, according to a report from Bloomberg Rankings.

In New Hampshire there is no minimum processing time or residency requirement, but in Vermont a divorce will take a minimum of 15 months.

Bloomberg rated each state and the District of Columbia on the obstacles they pose to obtaining a divorce. These include court filing fees, mandated separation periods, residency requirements, waiting periods, and the minimum time required to complete the divorce process.

States vary widely not only in divorce laws, but also in costs of divorce with the filing fee for divorce ranging from $52 in Mississippi to $409 in Florida.

Though proving fault is no longer required to obtain a divorce in any state –in fact filing on fault grounds is becoming increasingly rare – that does not mean finalizing a divorce has become easier in all states.

For instance, in Vermont, the minimum processing time to complete a divorce is 450 days. Couples must live apart during the state’s six-month mandated separation time. A year of residency is required before a divorce can be granted, and then a three-month “decree nisi” period must pass before a judge’s approval becomes absolute, according to Bloomberg.

Bloomberg Rankings did not take into account costly aspects of the divorce process, such as child custody battles.

The 5 Easiest States To Get A Divorce:

1. New Hampshire

2. Wyoming

3. Alaska

4. Idaho

5. South Dakota

The 5 Hardest States To Get A Divorce:

1. Vermont

2. Rhode Island

3. South Carolina

4. Arkansas

5. California