How Long Does a Divorce Take in Illinois?

Illinois has no statutory waiting period for divorce. There is no mandatory cooling-off window between filing and finalization. Your actual timeline depends on whether both sides agree, whether children are involved, and how busy the circuit court is.

Uncontested Without Children: 2 to 4 Months

This is often the faster standard scenario. If both spouses agree on every term and the respondent files an Entry of Appearance immediately, the 30-day response window is waived. You can request a prove-up hearing as soon as the court calendar allows.

In lower-volume counties (Champaign, Sangamon, McLean), prove-up dates may be available within a few weeks. In Cook County, docket congestion can push the hearing out by several weeks.

Uncontested With Children: 3 to 4 Months

Two additional requirements add time. Both parents must complete a parenting education course and file certificates of completion before the judge will enter the decree — budget 2 to 4 weeks for this. Additionally, parents have 120 days from service of process or the respondent's appearance to file a proposed parenting plan; local scheduling rules then affect when the final hearing is set.

Contested: 12 to 18 Months or More

When spouses disagree on property division, maintenance, or custody, the case enters a discovery and litigation track. Contested cases in Cook County routinely take 12 to 18 months and can stretch beyond two years if disputes are complex.

The contested timeline includes formal discovery (interrogatories, depositions, document subpoenas), mediation required for parenting disputes unless a protective order or other impediment exists, status conferences, and pretrial motions — each adding weeks or months to the calendar.

Default: 2 to 4 Months

If the respondent is served but fails to respond within 30 days, you can file a Motion for Default and request a prove-up hearing. The court still requires you to present evidence that your proposed terms are fair, but you avoid negotiation delays.

What Actually Causes Delays

Docket backlogs. High-population counties have limited courtroom time. Cook County's Domestic Relations Division handles approximately 40,000 cases annually.

Odyssey e-filing rejections. A rejected filing — merged PDFs, missing cross-reference codes, improper formatting — can set you back days or weeks while you resubmit.

Service of process. If your spouse is uncooperative or hard to locate, service attempts can stretch across weeks. Service by publication requires three consecutive weekly newspaper notices, and the first publication must be at least 30 days before a default or other proceeding can be taken, plus court processing time.

Incomplete financial disclosures. Missing or inaccurate Financial Affidavits can delay finalization and may trigger sanctions; complete and exchange them according to applicable local deadlines.

The 6-Month Separation Question

Under 750 ILCS 5/401(a), the sole ground for divorce in Illinois is irreconcilable differences. If both spouses have lived separate and apart for at least six continuous months, there is an irrebuttable presumption that the marriage has broken down. But this is a ground standard, not a waiting period — you can still file and proceed during that six months. Living under the same roof counts as "separate and apart" if you have ceased functioning as spouses.

Shortening Your Timeline

The biggest time savings come from preparation before filing: reaching a full agreement on all terms, having the respondent ready to sign an Entry of Appearance immediately, and submitting clean e-filing documents that the clerk accepts on the first try. The Illinois Divorce Filing Process Guide maps out the exact sequence and documents to avoid the procedural delays that turn a two-month case into a six-month one.

See more Illinois guides →