How long does a judge have to make a ruling on a case?Can she take weeks?

My nephew is fighting for custody of his son who is being given up for adoption by the birthmother. His lawyer has filed all the paperwork and they are now waiting for the judge to rule in the case but,it has already been over three weeks. Can the judge take all the time she wants?

This is the end of the case,not the beginning. We have already had court for the last year we are waiting on the final ruling.

If they have merely filed paperwork, they are not waiting for the judge to rule. If a hearing has actually been held on the paperwork, then they are waiting for the judge to rule.

Most judges are sensitive to the importance of quick decisions on child custody matters. However, there are a lot of details that are required to be considered in these cases by state laws. As such, it takes a little while for a judgment to be prepared. In addition, your nephew's case is not the only case on the judge's docket.

Many states have guidelines for when decisions should be made. If your nephew has concerns about how long it is taking, he should talk to his attorney to see what is a reasonable time frame for a decision to be made and what options are available if the judge does not rule in a reasonably prompt manner.

They just filed a paperwork and are waiting on the "ruling" already? lol/ The ruling might take years of numerous court hearings, depending on how the other side is willing to fight.

What they are waiting for now is a hearing. It might take months before the first hearing takes place, depending on the court schedule.

She can't take all the time she wants, but there are different guidelines for judges depending on the state.

This is an enormously important decision. It is about the future of this baby. It's not as simple as deciding whether someone is owed money.

Three weeks is not really that long for the judge to make this decision.