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Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's Shotgun Divorce

By Christopher Coble, Esq. on July 22, 2015 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's divorce is finalized!

Wait ... didn't they just announce the divorce a few days ago? Unlike the Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries divorce, which lasted longer than their 72-day marriage, Shelton and Lambert had a shotgun divorce, finalized within only a few weeks.

Timeline for the Divorce

Shelton and Lambert married four years ago in 2011. Before the marriage, the couple signed a prenuptial agreement. During the marriage, Shelton and Lambert did not have any children. Instead, there were rumors of infidelity and alcoholism.

Regardless of the reason for the breakup, Shelton filed for divorce in Oklahoma on July 6, 2015. On July 20, 2015, the couple announced their divorce, and confirmed that a judge finalized the divorce that day. The whole process took two weeks!

How is that possible?

Oklahoma's Divorce Laws

Unlike some other states, Oklahoma has a short waiting period for divorces.

In California, couples must wait six months before a divorce is finalized. In Oklahoma, the normal waiting period is only 90 days, or three months, from when the petition is filed. However, a judge, for good cause, may waive the 90 day waiting period if the parties both agree and no children are involved.

In Shelton and Lambert's case, the couple agreed to comply with the provisions of the prenuptial agreement. They also did not have any children, so did not have to deal with custody and child support issues. The couple probably applied for and were granted a waiver because there was no substantial disagreement on the terms of the divorce.

Other State's Waiting Periods

Just for fun, here is a list of the waiting periods in some other states:

  • New Hampshire -- Zero days! You can get divorced the same day you file the petition.
  • Vermont -- On the opposite end, Vermont has a much longer waiting period. In Vermont, couples must wait six months before a judge will grant a divorce and another three months before the divorce is finalized.
  • Alaska -- In Alaska, which has the country's highest divorce rate, the waiting period is only 30 days. Is the waiting period shorter because of the higher divorce rate, or the other way around?

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