Law & Courts
How long does a divorce take in Germany?
Estimated wait
3 months – 9 months
Typically ~5 months
Based on published sources
Timeline guide
- Faster cases~4 months
- Average cases~5 months
- Slower casesUp to 9 months
The one-year separation (Trennungsjahr) is a legal precondition you must complete BEFORE filing — it is not part of the court's processing time. The figures here are the proceeding itself, after that year; contested cases run far longer.
After the mandatory one-year separation, an uncontested (einvernehmliche) divorce in Germany typically takes about 4–6 months from filing the petition to the divorce decree. It is faster — roughly 1–3 months — when no pension equalization (Versorgungsausgleich) is needed, and longer when it is, since that sub-step alone adds about 3–4 months. Contested divorces with disputed follow-up matters routinely run a year or more.
More details
The actual court hearing is short (often around 15 minutes); the wait is mostly the court's scheduling and the pension-equalization checks with the pension insurers.
Last updated: 10 Jul 2026
Information is for general knowledge only.