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Sandra Bullock / Jesse James Divorce Finalized

By Kamika Dunlap on June 29, 2010 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

It is done.

The divorce between Sandra Bullock and Jesse James is final. She will be starting a new life as a single mother, after the pair adopted a 3½-month-old baby boy Louis Bardo Bullock.

Documents were signed and the pair filed papers under seal in Texas to finalize their divorce after their nearly five-year marriage, TMZ reports.

As previously discussed, Oscar-winning actress Sandra Bullock filed for divorce in April following a cheating scandal.

Divorce can be complicated legal process, and specific steps can vary from state to state. Below is divorce timeline that gives a general picture of how the average divorce proceeds:

  1. To start off the divorce, one of the spouses gets a lawyer, who writes up a petition that says why the spouse wants a divorce and how he or she wants to settle financial, custody, and other issues.
  2. The lawyer files the petition or complaint with the court.
  3. The lawyer or the court makes sure that the petition/complaint is served on the other spouse, together with a summons that requires that spouse's response.
  4. The served spouse has to answer within a certain time.
  5. The couple exchanges documents and information on issues such as property and income to help the court make a decision.
  6. Sometimes, the couple can voluntarily resolve all their issues through mediation  or settlement.
  7. If a settlement is reached, the settlement agreement is shown to a judge at an informal hearing.
  8. If the judge approves the agreement, he or she gives the couple a divorce decree that shows what they agreed to.
  9. At trial, attorneys present evidence and arguments for each side, and the judge decides the unresolved issues and then grants the divorce.
  10. Either or both spouses can appeal a judge's decision to a higher court. But it's unusual for an appeals court to overturn a judge's decision.

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