March 2011 Archives

March 28, 2011

An Improved Economy Leads To Increase In Divorce Filings In Miami

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that an improved economy has more couples feeling freer to end their marriage. Many people who are in troubled marriages have waited until the financial problems have settled to hire a Florida divorce lawyer. Now that individuals are more comfortable with the improved economic outlook, they are deciding to file for divorce. In 2010, a city in Florida in close proximity to Fort Lauderdale saw divorce cases rise 12% after falling 5% in 2008.

While couples have stayed together during the financial crisis, divorce attorneys in Miami-Dade and Broward now see a demand in clients wanting to proceed with a divorce. In fact, this is similar to the type of divorce filing activity that occurred after the Great Depression in the 1930s and during the recession in 1990 and 1991.

For more affluent couples, the decision to file for a divorce is based less on the economy and more on how they perceive their net worth. Now that the stock market has begun to recover, individuals feel free to move ahead and file for divorce

March 23, 2011

Understanding Social Security Benefits During Your Fort Lauderdale Divorce

Many clients never ask their divorce lawyer in Broward about their entitlement to their spouse's social security retirement benefit. However, your Florida marital and family law attorney should advise you as to your entitlement to your spouse's Social Security retirmenet benefit as an incident to your divorce since you may be entitled to receive additional money.

If you are divorced, you may be entitled to your former spouse's Social Security retirement. This would increase your benefit without reducing your former spouse's benefit. If you were married for 10 years, are at least 62 years old and have not remarried when you apply, Social Security will look at both your benefit and your spouse's benefit. If 50% of your former spouse's benefit is more then your benefit, you are entitled to the larger share of the benefit. While you do not have to wait until your former spouse retires, he or she must be 62 years of age.

March 15, 2011

Divorce Lawyer In Fort Lauderdale Reports Increase In Divorce Rate For Military Women

Many individuals hire a divorce lawyer in Broward when their spouse is deployed overseas as a result of military service. For women, their marriage is twice as likely to end in divorce then men and up to three times as likely for enlisted women.

Approximately 220,000 women have been deployed to countries such as Iraq and Afghanistan. The Pentagon reports that in 2010, 7.8% of women and 3% of men in the military divorced. Even worse, 9% of women and 3% of men in the military who who were enlisted corps divorced.

Women in the military divorce at higher rates than civilian women. On the otherhand, men in the military divorce at lower rates than civilian men. The rate of divorce for women in the military has been on the rise for the past ten years.

The military has more single moms than dads. While 30,000 of these single moms have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, researchers do not know why military women have such a high divorce rate. Some believe that women who are attracted to military life are less conventional and unwilling to remain in a disfunctional marriage. If your spouse is in the military, it is important to speak to your divorce lawyer in Miami about special rules that apply as well as your right to alimony, child support and a parenting plan if you have minor children.

March 1, 2011

Teenages Who Are Happy Likely To Divorce In Fort Lauderdale

Divorce attorneys in Miami have learned that a recent study found that teenagers who are happy are more likely to file for divorce when they are adults. Researchers believe that the correlation is a positive sign indicative of the fact that individuals who are happy, have good social support and high self-esteem, making them more likely to leave an unhappy marriage.

The study involved 2,776 individuals who had been followed since they were born. During their teenage years, the individuals were evaluated for energy levels, friendships, happiness and whether or not they were popular. In the adult years, the same individuals were evaluated for happiness, work experience, relationships, mental health status and social activities. While it is unknown how these individuals ended up in a bad marriage, the researchers did find that teenagers who were happy were more likley to be divorced in adulthood than unhappy teenagers.