WAITING PERIOD (NISI)

Once you have a Final Order, you are divorced, right? Not quite. Unless the judge puts a different date in your Final Order, you are not technically divorced until 90 days after the date of the order. This is called the “nisi” period (it rhymes with “eye-sigh”).

 

Why do I have to wait 90 days?

The nisi rule is a very old one. You are supposed to wait in case you change your mind and start living with your spouse again. Of course, now that you’ve been through the divorce, this seems unlikely, doesn’t it?

 

What does the Nisi Period mean for me?

You can’t get married to someone else during the nisi period. You might still be covered under your spouse’s health insurance. That’s about it.

 

TIP: At your Final Hearing or in your agreement, ask the judge to waive the nisi period. If you both waive this rule, the judge will probably give you an order that doesn’t require it.

TIP: If you get health insurance through your spouse’s employment, you might not want to waive the nisi period! Because you are not technically divorced, you could still be covered under your old health insurance for an additional three months.