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In either case, Maine law requires a minimum 60-day waiting period between the filing of all the necessary divorce paperwork and the final hearing. Your case may take longer than 60 days, especially if you and your spouse do not agree on all issues.

If you have been served with court papers in a divorce or parental rights and responsibilities case, you may file a written response (called an "answer") within 21 days of when you received the papers. Your answer or response may include a ?counterclaim? (a claim against the plaintiff).

California is a community property state, which means spouses split community property 50/50 unless otherwise specified. If your spouse spent marital money on their affair, however, they must reimburse the marital estate during property division. This means you may end up with more money than your spouse.

Most divorces in Maine are granted on the grounds of "irreconcilable differences." The Maine statute includes nine different grounds for divorce, including adultery and extreme cruelty. But you do not have to show ?fault? to get a divorce in Maine.

Tit. 19-A, § 902 (2021).) Because adultery is a legal basis for divorce in Maine, a judge will grant a petition for a divorce when a spouse can prove that the other committed adultery. However, deciding to proceed with a fault-based divorce can affect other matters related to the divorce, such as child custody.

Under Maine law, a judge can't schedule a final divorce hearing until at least 60 days have passed since the defendant was served with the divorce paperwork. Your divorce may be finalized any time after the 60-day period, but a lot will depend on how quickly you and your spouse can resolve the issues in your case.