Articles Posted in Divorce

Monroe County, Florida which is south of Broward and Miami-Dade has the second highest rate of divorced residents in the United States of America. 18.3%, or 11,473 of Monroe County’s 62,229 have hired a divorce lawyer or proceeded without a divorce lawyer in obtaining a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage or have divorced somewhere along the way. Census reports indicated that 6,829 men and 4,644 women are divorced in The Florida Keys.

The Florida Keys atmosphere may play a role in these statistical figures. The Florida Keys is a place of escape. There has been economic problems in Monroe County just like every other county in Florida. Other counties in Florida that are included in the top ten counties in the nation for percentage of divorced residents include Putnam in North Florida and Pinelles on the west coast, both which report rates higher than 16%.

When you hire your Broward divorce lawyer, you will most likely discuss your house, your furnishings, alimony, child support and custody and time-sharing with your children. During a Fort Lauderdale divorce, everything can become contentious. A common questioned asked to marital and family law attorneys in Fort Lauderdale relates to which spouse will ultimately get custody of the dog or cat.

In Miami-Dade and Broward, who gets the pet is a common point of contention in the office of divorce attorneys and mediators, and even sometimes in the courtroom. Most spouses manage to work out pet arrangements without the need of the Florida marital and family law judge. In Florida, judges have to follow the law related to pets. The law and case precedent state that animals are property, and that means that neither party can have custody, time-sharing, visitation or shared parental responsibility with the dog or cat. Insofar as a pet is property, it is subject to equitable distribution like all of your other assets

Just like your pension, furniture and car, pets are considered personal property, and legally, it can only be awarded to one person. If a pet is acquired during the marriage and is not a gift to one party from another person outside of the marriage, it is an asset subject to equitable distribution. In awarding the pet to one of the parties, the court will look at who spent time with the pet, fed it, cared for it, and had the closest bond with it.

When you meet with your Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer, you will soon have an understanding of the main elements of your divorce case. These includes sole or shared parental responsibility, a parenting plan that includes a time-sharing schedule, equitable distribution of the marital assets and liabilities, alimony, child support and attorney’s fees and costs. However, once the Broward marital and family court enters your Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage, you will be a single mom who is responsible for the day to day care of your children.

When your former spouse exercises his custody rights of time-sharing in Fort Lauderdale, you may initially have some anxiety. How you and your former spouse communicate becomes an example for your children and lays the foundation for how your children will manage their future relationships. Your Broward divorce attorney will explain that you should never discuss your marital and family law case with your children or negatively criticize your former spouse to your children.

Regardless of whether you file for divorce in Miami-Dade or Broward, a divorce can have a major impact of your finances. If you are a newly single mother who relied on her former spouse to pay the bills, you need to quickly learn about your finances. You should establish a monthly budget that takes into account any alimony or child support that your receive, purchase life insurance and understand your credit.

If you have recently been divorced in Broward, you most likely never thought that you would be a single mom. In Florida, the odds are stacked against you when you get married and have children. 50% of first time marriages and 67% of second time marriages end in divorce in Ft. Lauderdale. Single mothers in Fort Lauderdale who are becoming adjusted to their custody, time-sharing schedule and parenting plan are not alone. The following are some tips that your Broward divorce attorney should discuss with you after your case has concluded.

You need a group of people to rely on after your Florida marital and family lawyer finalizes your divorce. Consider your friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers when you have an emergency and need a third party to rely on. You should also consider the parents in your childrens play groups, classes and after school activities to provide you with emotional support. Chances are that you will be able to speak to other moms who have been divorced in Hollywood, Plantation, Westin, Pembroke Pines and other cities in Miami-Dade and Broward who can lend a helping hand.

There are many positive attributes about being a single mom. Immediately rid yourself of any guilt that you may feel from being a single mom. You need to find inspiration to feel good about your decision to hire a lawyer and file for divorce, child support and alimony in Fort Lauderdale.

When you hire a Broward divorce attorney, you will be told that a divorce can be an extremely painful process both financially and emotionally. You and your spouse will have to resolve child custody matters such as time-sharing and a parenting plan, alimony, child support and equitable distribution of your marital assets. At times throughout this process, you will have to navigate through the emotional pain of a divorce.

You and your spouse will eventually have to come to terms with the fact that the entry of your divorce decree by the Fort Lauderdale marital and family law judge will be the death of a deep personal relationship. During your divorce, surround yourself with family and friends. Do not be afraid or scared to ask them for help. You should talk with them about your feelings.

Do not forget to take good care of yourself. You should eat healthy, exercise and consider getting a massage. Remind yourself of your positive attributes. Block away negative thoughts about your divorce. Finally, after your divorce in Ft. Lauderdale has concluded, explore ways to redefine yourself.

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In part 1 of How To Survive Your Fort Lauderdale Divorce, I discussed ways that you can take care of yourself and your job during a dissolution of marriage. Let’s face it, divorce litigation in Broward County related to alimony, child support, and custody issues such as a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule can become overwhelming. The stress and personal problems during this difficult time in your life should be controlled to prevent your job from being sabotaged.

You should not speak to your Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney during work unless it is a true emergency. When you speak to your marital and family lawyer, you should be in a private place where you can concentrate.

You should not speak to your spouse during work unless it is a true emergency. These conversations can be volatile. You can also become emotional. Your concentration and work product should not be negatively impacted by your pending Broward divorce and the heated conversations with your spouse related to alimony and child support.

Personal problems such as a divorce, alimony or child support case in Broward or a troubled marriage can be so overwhelming that they can threaten your career. During your custody, parenting plan and time-sharing litigation in your marital and family law case, your Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney can help you to control the litigation. However, you must help yourself and control your personal problems. To maintain your professional life during a divorce, there are several tips that you may want to consider.

You should keep your divorce private. Avoid discussing your case at work unless it is completely necessary for reasons such as a court appearance. This will help you keep the stress outside of your job.

Try to talk about your problems with people outside of your job. While it can be expensive to talk to your Broward divorce lawyer, you can speak to a friend, family member or your therapist. They can help calm you down. Your divorce and child support attorney in Hollywood, Plantation or Pembroke Pines can help you handle yourself in front of the mediator or judge.

A Florida woman is seeking custody of her X-rated photographs as part of her divorce. The Wife is suing her husband and has accused him of distributing the photographs on the internet and using them in online sex chat rooms. A Florida divorce attorney believes that the photographs belong to the Husband and Wife. Fort Lauderdale marital and family law attorneys would agree that this is a common issue amongst couples who file for divorce in the Broward and Miami-Dade divorce court. In order to prevent embarrassment, one spouse generally will have to surrender other property to be awarded the photographs as part of the equitable distribution of assets during a divorce. The parties divorce case is currently pending in a Florida divorce court.

When you are getting a divorce in Broward, this is a difficult time for your child. Many times children blame themselves for you and your spouse getting divorced. You and your spouse need to be aware of the psychological effects of a divorce in Fort Lauderdale and the impact of custody, visitation, a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule. The adjustment during a divorce for your children is critical to their well-being.

During your divorce in Miami-Dade and Broward, your attorney will advise you that there is a requirement to attend a parenting course. The parenting course helps teach you and your spouse how to handle your divorce in a healthy way for your children. However, it is important to follow the lessons that are taught during the parenting course even after the Florida marital and family law judge enters the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage.

You should never use your child as a spokesperson, messenger or information carrier between you and your spouse. This can cause emotional distress for your child. Do not let your child read an email or text message that you are sending to your spouse related to your child.

When you meet with your Broward divorce lawyer, he or she will explain to you that there is a four point analysis for the marital and family law judge to award alimony. First, the starting point is to determine the need of one spouse and the ability to pay of the other spouse. Next, it is important to determine how long you will need alimony and what type of alimony you should request. Divorce attorneys in Fort Lauderdale will explain to you the differences between permanent periodic, rehabilitative, bridge the gap, lump sum, temporary and nominal alimony. Next, the recipient spouse must have a need for alimony based upon the standard of living established during the marriage in order for the Broward marital and family law judge to determine the amount of alimony that should be awarded. Finally, the court must consider and make findings of fact relative to the factors enumerated in Florida Statute, 61.08 in awarding or denying alimony. For the purposes of this blog, I will discuss bridge the gap alimony.

Bride the gap alimony is typically awarded during a Broward divorce to fulfill a specific and limited purpose of meeting short term financial difficulties as a result of the transition from married to single life. Unlike rehabilitative alimony, bride the gap alimony is for a shorter duration of time. Your Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer will explain to you that bridge the gap alimony is typically awarded during a short term marriage of one to three years. However, there are no presumptions for or against this type of alimony.

There is no direct reference to bridge the gap alimony under Chapter 61, Florida Statutes. Rather, this form of alimony is recognized in many of the appellate districts in Florida. In the First, Third and Fourth districts, bridge the gap alimony is fully modifiable short term periodic payments. On the other hand, in the Second district, bridge the gap alimony is considered lump sum alimony payable in installments, is non-modifiable and generally does not terminate upon death or remmarriage.