Well, I finally got the final approval, and so, here are my dates for the database:
Started initial application on-line: 03 Jun 2021
Completed Escritura Pública on my apartment in Lisbon: 21 Aug 2021
Completed all on-line document submission: 06 Oct 2021
Paid DUC for application processing: 10 Oct 2021
Added my spouse: 10 Oct 2021
Paid DUC for my spouse: 19 Oct 2021
Pre-approval spouse: 28 Feb 2022
Pre-approval primary applicant: 8 Mar 2022 (don’t ask why)
Biometrics for primary applicant in Lisbon: 18 Jan 2023
Biometrics for dependent applicant in Lisbon: 18 Jan 2023
Sent certified letter to AIMA requesting resolution: 17 Nov 2023
Received meaningless response: 06 Dec 2023
Filed a lawsuit: 05 May 2024
Won the lawsuit: 25 Aug 2024
Received final approval: 16 Jan 2025
Paid DUC (6045,20 €): 17 Jan 2025
My spouse has not been approved yet. We have submitted her updated passport which has changed over the three-year wait. Hopefully that would be the end of the requests for docs for now…
And so:
The total time in waiting: 3 years 3 months 7 days since initial application (1195 days)
The total time before invited to biometrics since application DUC: 1 year 3 months 8 days
The total time since biometrics to final approval: 2 years
Number of times meeting Thomas Running: 1
Total time spent on NomadGate: over 4000 hours
Total time thinking whether I should have considered other options: over 4000 hours
Hope this helps everyone who is still stuck in the endless “DO-loop”! 
Cheers!