How Long Does a Divorce Take in Wyoming

Wyoming has one of the shortest statutory waiting periods in the country — just 20 days from the date the Complaint for Divorce is filed. But that 20-day clock is almost never the actual bottleneck.

Here is what actually determines your timeline.

The 20-Day Waiting Period

Under Wyo. Stat. § 20-2-108, the court cannot enter a final Decree of Divorce until at least 20 days have passed from the filing date. This clock starts running the moment the Clerk file-stamps your Complaint — not from the date of service, and not from the date your spouse responds.

In practice, this waiting period is almost always satisfied by the time service, response deadlines, and disclosure requirements are finished.

Uncontested Divorce: 6 to 12 Weeks

If you and your spouse agree on all terms — property division, custody, support — the realistic timeline breaks down like this:

The biggest variable is service of process. If your spouse signs an Acknowledgment and Acceptance of Service voluntarily, you can collapse that step to a few days. If you need sheriff service or — worst case — service by publication, add 4-8 weeks.

County Finalization Adds Time

Wyoming's 23 District Courts handle finalization differently. Some counties allow you to finalize entirely on paper using the Affidavit for Divorce Without Appearance of Parties — no courtroom appearance needed. Others require you to schedule and attend a brief hearing where the Plaintiff gives oral testimony.

Counties that require hearings add scheduling time. Depending on the judge's calendar, this can mean 1-3 extra weeks after all paperwork is complete.

Contested Divorce: 6 to 18+ Months

When spouses disagree on any issue — property division, custody, child support — the case enters a contested track. This triggers discovery, pretrial disclosures, potential mediation, and ultimately a trial. Contested cases in Wyoming typically take 6 to 18 months, and high-conflict custody disputes can stretch beyond two years.

The 90-Day Service Deadline

One often-overlooked timeline constraint: you must complete service within 90 days of filing. If your spouse evades service and you cannot locate them, you will need to petition the court for service by publication — a process that itself takes 4-6 weeks for the required newspaper publication period.

Failing to serve within 90 days results in automatic dismissal, forcing you to refile and pay the $160 filing fee again.

How to Move Faster

The single most effective way to shorten your timeline is having your spouse sign the Acknowledgment and Acceptance of Service form on the same day you file. Combined with a signed Settlement Agreement, this lets you skip the contested track entirely and move directly toward finalization.

The Wyoming Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a deadline tracker that maps your personal timeline based on your filing date and service method.

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