If you want to go through a no-fault divorce, then one of the things you might need to do in Pennsylvania is complete a 2-year separation. In Pennsylvania, you can get a no-fault divorce if you and your spouse decide that your marriage is irretrievably broken. If they agree, then you only have to wait 90 days to divorce. If they don’t agree, then you have to separate for two years and file by saying that you believe the marriage is broken at that time.
If you do need to spend two years apart because you don’t have a fault to submit or can’t otherwise qualify for a divorce, it’s okay. There are still things you can do to help make it easier to divorce in the future.
Preparing for your divorce
The first thing to consider is that this time apart is a good time to put together your case. You can start collecting information about your marital assets and separate your own personal ones at this time.
Anything you purchase during the separation will be in your name alone, which is helpful as you start your new life independently while working through the division of your marital assets.
Since the 2-year wait is only an issue if your spouse contests the divorce, you should take steps to get them to agree. You may be able to ask them to negotiate with you or separate and then request to revisit the idea of the divorce in a month or two. If they agree, the wait will be reduced to 90 days, and you may save both time and money.
