Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer Blog

As a divorce lawyer in Broward County, clients often come into my office and will tell me all of the bad things that their spouse has done which has caused the marriage to be irretrievably broken. In most divorce cases in Fort Lauderdale, the fault of one spouse in committing adultery or abandoning the other spouse does not factor into the ultimate decisions made by the Florida marital and family law judge in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court related to dissolving the marriage. However, when it comes to your marriage, love is not always what keeps you and your spouse living happily ever after in Weston, Pembroke Pines, Cooper City and Plantation.

The following are 7 factors that play a significant role in determining whether your marriage will succeed or if you may wind up in divorce court:

Blending Families: 20% of marriages with children from a prior relationship end up in divorce court

Multiple Marriages: 90% of parties who are on their second or third marriage are likely to separate or divorce

Age: If a man is under 25 when he gets married or if he is 9 or more years older than the wife, he is two times more likely to get divorced than a man who is older than 25 or close in age to the wife.

Desire to Have Kids: If the wife has a stronger desire to have children than the husband, the marriage will most likely not succeed.

Status of Parents: If parties come from a divorced or separated family, 17% are most likely to become separated or divorce, as compared to 10% who come from unbroken homes.

Smoking: When one of the individuals in a relationship smokes, divorce is more likely.

Money: 16% of bad marriages where the husband was unemployed ended in separation or divorce. However, only 9% of couples who had a healthy bank account ended their marriage in a divorce.

Financial hardships in Broward County brought on by the recession have made divorce a reality for couples who live in South Florida. The recession is causing many couples throughout Fort Lauderdale to rethink their marital situation since a high priced divorce may further deplete their shrunken assets and liabilities. Many divorce attorneys in Hollywood, Cooper City, Miramar, Plantation and other cities in Broward County are available to assist you with your dissolution of marriage during these tough times.

Many couples do not want to get divorced because of recession related problems. People who have have no children and limited finances can save money on their divorce by hiring a lawyer when they have reached a settlement and file for a simplified dissolution of marriage. However, couples with children, real estate and a more complicated financial situation have to salvage their finances during a divorce.

You must be consistent in communicating with your lawyer. Get a referral through word-of-mouth, local and state bar associations or online through search engines such as Google. During your initial consultation with a marital and family law attorney, ask for a free or reduced rate consultation. You should also ask your divorce lawyer about attending mediation as soon as possible. Be cooperative, realistic and prepared to compromise with your spouse during your divorce.

If you reside within Broward County and are having marital problems, it is highly likely that you have or will consult with a divorce lawyer. Before meeting with a divorce attorney in Fort Lauderdale, there are five things that you need to hear about a divorce. In my blog posted yesterday, I discussed two of the five things that you should know before speaking to your marital and family law divorce attorney in Florida. Today I will discuss the remaining three topics.

Hire A Lawyer Who Will Work With You

Educate yourself about your rights so that you can direct your lawyer. You need to make decisions with your lawyer together. Fire a lawyer that you feel uncomfortable with sooner rather than later because after a while, he or she will be too entrenched in your case.

Face Today's Tough Economy

The current economic climate has made divorce more complex than ever. Because a couple's most valuable asset is often their home, and mot homes have lost some if not all of their value, selling a home and splitting the sale 50-50 is less attractive than ever. Many couples are putting off divorce until their financial situation improves. This way, homes and investment portfolios do not have to be sold and split with neither party making any money.

Consider Legal Alternatives

For couples that are going to be amicable, collaborative law may be the better way to go. During the collaborative process, both parties have independent lawyers and sign a contract to stay out of court. If the process fails and the parties need to take their divorce case to court, they need to start from scratch and hire new lawyers.

Other couples may consider attending mediation as soon as possible. In mediation, an independent third party helps the husband and wife reach a marital settlement agreement. Lawyers are present during the mediation process to advise their clients.

Yesterday, I posted a blog that discussed problems in a marriage which may lead you to the Broward County Courthouse for your divorce. If you are experiencing marital problems and are considering a divorce, you should consult a divorce lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to discuss your marital and family law problems.

One of the issues that may lead you to speak with a lawyer about a divorce, alimony or child support case is due to the fact that you and your spouse never talk about problems. This can cause big conflicts. If you can not address issues rationally and work towards solutions then you are in marital trouble.

Another warning sign of a troubled marriage is when you are happier when you and your spouse are separated. You should enjoy the time spent with your spouse more than you enjoy the time that the both of you are separated.

A serious sign of trouble is when you or your spouse have cheated. By far, this is one of the biggest signs of trouble. Cheating is never an accident, but rather a symptom that there is trouble in your marriage. If you have been cheated on, you can usually never fully heal from the pain. If you are the spouse that cheated, your spouse is usually never able to fully forgive you.

If you and your spouse have different goals and dream for life you are headed for trouble. Radically different goals can cause huge problems for a marriage.

No couple has the perfect answer for when their relationship is over. However, the warning signs give advance notice. If you do not want your marriage to be over, take these warning signs seriously. Start making changes. Work with your spouse to repair the damage that has been done to your marriage.

There are often many signs that indicate that your marriage may wind up in the Broward County, Florida divorce court. While not every marriage with problems ends in divorce, many do. The signs of a troubled marriage may lead you to the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit Court in Fort Lauderdale, Florida where you will ultimately receive your divorce.

One of the first warning signs that your marriage may be heading towards trouble is that you and your spouse are always fighting. This may be shown through constant fights over major issues or minor bickering. If you are doing nothing more than fighting, then you are headed towards trouble.

Another warning sign is that you no longer have fun with each other. If your time is never fun anymore, you need to re-evaluate your relationship to find an activity that you both enjoy. This will make the time that you spend together not so painful.

When you have nothing nice to say about your spouse, this is a red flag that major problems in your marriage have developed. You and your spouse should be able to talk without hostility and attitude. If this is no longer an option, you should consider talking to a therapist.

Do you no longer trust your spouse? Do you wonder what your spouse is doing behind your back? If you have answered yes to these questions, you may want to consider splitting up from your spouse. If the thought of splitting up does not make you happy, you should speak to your therapist. This is a major issue that can cause huge problems in your marriage.

When considering your sex life, do you ever wonder what sex life? If the physical intimacy is gone from your mariage, this is a definite problem. You need to discuss this matter openly and honestly with your spouse to try to resolve these issues.

In my next blog, I will continue discussing the signs of a troubled marriage. These are the types of issues that make you question if you should get a divorce or stay in the marriage.