“Keeping your head while all about are losing theirs” is a quote from Rudyard Kipling that might apply to divorce. A marriage that is dissolving is stressful enough but instead of seeking retribution or revenge, keep your head and your focus on what has to be done to get through the process smoothly. One way to achieve is this is by making sure your finances and financial documents in order. By taking the necessary steps to organize your financial records, you will have substantially eased stress, as you will ensure that you keep what is rightfully yours. The Cost of a Florida Divorce Divorces...

A principal concern of parties preparing for or going through a divorce is how it will impact their credit scores. You may have spent years building up a decent credit rating and fear that a divorce may have a negative impact. For example, if you had a joint credit card account with a balance of thousands of dollars that is now assumed by one of the parties, what happens to your credit if that party does not make payments? For the most part, a divorce does not directly affect your credit. Before you file, however, you should take steps to minimize your obligations on certain debts. If either...

A divorce is a difficult time, no matter how agreeable the involved parties may be. You were committed to a relationship that has not worked out – that’s never easy to deal with. Most people know when divorce is a real possibility. If you have not experienced a divorce before, here are some tips to consider so that you will be prepared for some of the more trying aspects. 1. Prepare for tough conversations. Communication with your spouse is a key to lessening the tension surrounding divorce, and in reaching a quicker, and more harmonious settlement of the issues in your relationship that must...

One of the first questions many clients ask of a divorce lawyer is “how long is this going to take?” This is typically a major concern – many clients fear a long, drawn out process. No lawyer can tell you exactly how long your divorce will take, but he or she can reasonably respond to your inquiry by first asking you the following: Are you and your partner in agreement on most if not all issues? If you have children, have you decided on custody and visitation? How much marital property is there and what is its value? How long have you been married? {Do you both have sources of income? Are both...

Divorce can be a complex process if children are involved, or there are substantial assets to allocate. If the parties are unable to agree regarding child custody, visitation issues, alimony, or the division of assets – the keeping of accurate records can be vital for the court to issue orders that are fair and reasonable. Distribution of the Marital Assets & Debts It is always essential to keep accurate and comprehensive records of your finances, assets, and debts. If you are going through a divorce, you will need to draft, or at least attempt to draft, a settlement agreement to divide...

People enter divorce proceedings with preconceived notions of their rights, or lack of them, and of what happens regarding assets, debts, alimony, child custody and child support. Three of the more common misconceptions are discussed here. 1. Mothers by default get full custody rights to the children. Years ago, the courts did tend to favor mothers when determining custody. However, in recent years, there has been a growing movement of awarding fathers more and more custody. In fact, many judges believe it is in the children’s best interest that the parties have equal custody. In Florida, the...

Marital strife is stressful and can affect your work, children and other relationships. Few marriages are perfect and most go through periods when stress levels are high, such as when couples are experiencing financial difficulties, or a child is having developmental problems or issues at school or with the law, or a partner is having an extramarital affair. As a result, one or both partners may seek advice from a divorce lawyer. A good divorce lawyer will discuss your marital issues with you and see if counseling or mediation could help resolve your differences. Your divorce lawyer can be...

Florida is a no-fault divorce state, meaning you do not have to demonstrate grounds for a divorce or prove fault such as abandonment or neglect, but only that the marriage is irretrievably broken or that one party is mentally incapacitated. A divorce from a short-term marriage with little or no marital property and no minor children is relatively easy to obtain while a dissolution for a marital relationship of long duration, with considerable assets and liabilities, and/or one with minor children is much more involved. For any type of divorce in Florida, there are certain essential steps in...

When marriages dissolve and the parents of minor children cannot agree on which parent shall have physical and/or legal custody or if there should be a joint custody arrangement, the court will determine parental responsibility and custody/visitation based on what is in the best interests of the child. But what exactly does that mean for Florida’s parents of minor children who are going through a divorce or who were never married but wish to establish certain parental responsibilities? What are the factors that a court uses when it decides the parenting issues such as custody and visitation? What...

Divorces are traumatic for everyone no matter how bad the relationship turned out to be. If you have children, research consistently shows that the children suffer as well. Children have high expectations for their parents to meet all their needs and fully expect that they will do so. When the parents separate or divorce, their beliefs can be shattered and they consider the breakup as a betrayal of their understanding of what is normal or expected. Children may come to resent the custodial and absent parent or blame themselves for the dissolution. Family research studies have come to a number...