How long can divorce be dragged out?

[KarmaKoma]

A friend is divorcing her husband. They still share family home and he is trying to block everything. How long could it take to get divorced and agree house split etc? She has offered 50/50 (to her detriment) and tried mediation but he is so angry about it that he says no to everything.

I think its 2 years

A long, long time.

I am worried it will be more than two years if he also fights over the house. It's complete madness.

I think there's rules in place if you have applied for a divorce online, if the other person doesn't respond etc - I'd imagine that its the financial orders that scupper things as its my understanding that solicitors will generally advise that you don't proceed with the divorce until the financial order is sorted. If he won't engage though, there must be a process? Your poor friend.

It was about 5 years for me 6 for DH. It was only doable because XDH accepted the split was happening so we agreed 50:50 kids and assets early on and the house went on the market. Took over a year to sell and we had to stay in the house together which was torture but at least we could split after that.

I realised that separation was the goal, not divorce. So once we’d sold I could get on with my life. Divorce (and pension splitting) came much later, but this was the time when you had to wait two years for a no fault divorce.

I would recommend your friend focuses on whatever is necessary for separation and worry about divorce later. I appreciate that may well be easier said than done.

He won't move out. She is offering to buy him out, 50/50 , he has always earned less so it's in his favour. I think divorce will have to go through to force house agreement. He might prefer house to be sold in some.kind of dog in a manger mentality.

Mine was 3,5 years, dp was 5 years. My ex argued and the disengaged so it was a nasty court process, dp's was just that neither of them was fussed about finalizing everything (until I made an ultimatum of not wanting to be with a 'married' man)