Divorced in a Day: What Happens From Your First Call to Your Final Decree

You’ve made the decision. What you want now is the order of things: who you call, what you sign, what you fill out at the kitchen table, and when the paperwork shows up in your mailbox. How long does divorce mediation take? With Divorced in a Day, the mediation itself happens in one day, usually in two to three hours. Arizona’s 60-day waiting period follows, and then your final decree arrives by mail. The steps below run in order, and the process is designed to keep you out of a courtroom the whole way.

How Long Does Divorce Mediation Take? The Timeline at a Glance

Divorce mediation through Divorced in a Day takes one session on one day. From there, the calendar belongs to Arizona law. We file the next business day, the court can’t sign your decree for at least 60 days, and it must act by day 81. Counting from mediation day, couples generally receive their final decree in about two to three months.

Step	What happens	Typical timing
1. First call	You talk with our office about your situation and whether the program fits	One phone call or visit
2. Agreement and intake	You each sign an agreement to mediate and return a short questionnaire	Once you both decide to move forward
3. Worksheets	You complete one shared set of inventory worksheets	You set the pace
4. Mediation day	You work with two attorney-mediators in separate rooms	Generally 7 to 10 days after worksheets; 2 to 3 hours
5. Filing	We file your documents through the Summary Consent Decree process	The next business day
6. Waiting period	You wait while the court holds the file	At least 60 days after filing
7. Final decree	The judge signs, and your decree arrives by mail	The court acts by day 81

You do most of your part before mediation day. After you sign, we handle the filing and the rest runs on Arizona’s rules.

Before Mediation Day: Steps 1 to 3

Before mediation day, you make a first call to see whether the program fits, sign an agreement to mediate, return a short intake questionnaire, and complete one shared set of worksheets with your spouse. This is where you do most of your work. Our office then drafts most of your divorce paperwork before you arrive.

Step 1: Your First Call

Your first call tells you whether Divorced in a Day fits your situation. We ask whether you and your spouse broadly agree the marriage is over and want to stay out of court. There is no consultation fee to discuss Divorced in a Day with an attorney-mediator.

You can call (480) 433-9747 or book online. Barbara Mendoza, our managing paralegal, usually answers first and sets up the consultation. Chris Simonds takes many Divorced in a Day calls himself when he’s available. Expect questions like these:

• Your spouse’s position. Does your spouse know you want a divorce, and do they want to fight it?
• Children. Do you have minor children together, and how long have they lived in Arizona?
• Property and debt. Do you own a home, retirement accounts, a business, or significant debt?
• Safety. Is there any abuse, threat, or pressure in the relationship?

If your spouse doesn’t know yet, that conversation comes first. Our post on how to talk to your spouse about divorce walks through it.

Step 2: The Agreement to Mediate and Intake Questionnaire

Once you both decide to move forward, each spouse signs an agreement to mediate and returns a short intake questionnaire. The agreement sets the ground rules for your divorce mediation. The questionnaire gives the attorney-mediators the basics: names, dates, children, and the big-ticket items you’ll need to divide. It also shows us where you already agree and where you may need help.

Step 3: The Worksheets

You and your spouse complete one shared set of inventory worksheets listing what you own, what you owe, and, if you have children, how you want to share parenting time. While you work through them, either of you can ask an attorney-mediator about the big issues, so nothing surprises you on mediation day.

• Assets. The house, vehicles, bank accounts, retirement accounts, and anything else of value.
• Debts. Mortgages, car loans, credit cards, and other balances.
• Support. Whether either spouse will pay spousal maintenance. Our alimony calculator gives you a starting estimate under Arizona’s guidelines.
• Children. A parenting plan and the figures needed for child support, which Arizona calculates under the Arizona Child Support Guidelines.

One common delay is access. One spouse may not have the passwords to the bank accounts or know where the retirement statements come from. If that’s you, tell an attorney-mediator early. We can help you work out how to get the numbers instead of letting the worksheets sit.

Step 4: Your Mediation Day

Your divorce mediation is generally scheduled within 7 to 10 days after your worksheets are complete, and weekend sessions are available. You and your spouse arrive separately and work in separate rooms, each with an attorney-mediator. Contact with your spouse will not occur. Sessions usually run about two hours without children and about three with them.

Our attorney-mediators carry proposals between the rooms and help you settle whatever the worksheets left open. They mediate for both of you. Neither one acts as your advocate against your spouse, since one firm can’t represent both sides of a divorce.

Our attorneys have taken most of these issues to court. They can explain how differently judges may rule, which helps many couples decide the terms themselves. When the terms are settled, you review and sign your documents that same day, then leave at staggered times.

100% Agreement Rate — Every Divorced in a Day mediation session we’ve conducted has resulted in a full agreement.

Divorced in a Day costs one flat fee of $5,000 total for both spouses, including filing, service, notary, and delivery fees. Flat fee, no surprises.

What Happens After Divorce Mediation?

Step 5: Filing the Next Business Day

After divorce mediation, we file your signed documents the next business day through Arizona’s Summary Consent Decree process. Arizona’s 60-day waiting period runs, the judge signs your decree, and the final documents arrive by mail. Arizona’s rules let the judge sign without a hearing, so the process is designed to keep both of you out of court.

Step 6: The Waiting Period

You don’t have to do anything in court during the wait. Some couples use the time to start the practical steps they agreed on, like planning a move or opening new accounts. You remain legally married until the judge signs your decree, so hold off on anything that depends on the divorce being final, such as remarrying.

Step 7: Your Final Decree Arrives by Mail

Once the judge signs your decree, the final documents come to you by mail. The signed decree is the court order that ends your marriage and puts your agreements into effect. Keep it somewhere safe. Banks, title companies, retirement plan administrators, and the Motor Vehicle Division may each ask for a copy.

How Long After Mediation Is Divorce Final in Arizona?

After divorce mediation in Arizona, your divorce is final when the judge signs the decree, which can’t happen sooner than 60 days after filing. With Divorced in a Day, we file the next business day after your session. Under Arizona’s waiting-period statute and the summary consent rules, couples generally reach that point about two to three months after mediation.

Two dates matter:

• Your filing date. The 60-day clock starts on the day we file your joint petition, not the day you signed at mediation.
• The day the judge signs. Your divorce becomes final on the date the decree is entered. Arizona’s family court rules require the court to rule on a summary consent decree, or set a hearing, no later than 81 days after filing. The copy you receive by mail shows the date.

The wait applies to every Arizona divorce, mediated or contested.

After Your Decree: Putting the Agreement Into Effect

After your decree arrives, you carry out the terms you agreed to at mediation: retitling property, dividing accounts, and updating beneficiaries. The decree is the court order banks, title companies, and retirement plans ask to see before they make changes. Most of these tasks take a form or a phone call, and a few take longer.

• Real estate. If one spouse keeps the house, a deed moves it into that spouse’s name, and a refinance may take the other spouse off the mortgage.
• Retirement accounts. Many workplace retirement plans need a separate court order, called a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), before they can divide an account. The IRS explains how QDROs work. Ask your attorney-mediator how the order for your accounts gets handled.
• Beneficiaries. Review the beneficiary on life insurance policies, retirement accounts, and bank accounts.
• Vehicles. Retitle any vehicle that changes hands.
• Parenting plan. If you have children, follow the parenting time and child support terms in your decree from the day it’s signed.

Couples in long marriages often have more to retitle. Our silver divorce page covers what changes when retirement accounts and a paid-off home are part of the picture.

Your Next Step

So how long does divorce mediation take with us? One day at the table, then Arizona’s waiting period. If you and your spouse agree the marriage is over and want to stay out of court, start with a call to (480) 433-9747 or schedule a consultation online. There’s no consultation fee to discuss Divorced in a Day, and our mediation services page explains how the program compares with other options.

When Divorced in a Day Isn’t the Right Fit

Divorced in a Day depends on two spouses who can work toward agreement. If your spouse wants to fight, won’t take part, or there is abuse, threats, or coercion in the relationship, divorce mediation isn’t the right path. We also handle contested divorces, and Kate Simonds has handled hundreds of contested bench trials. We prefer smooth, efficient resolutions whenever possible, and we’re prepared to advocate in court when a case needs it.

Frequently Asked Questions

This article is intended for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.