Davie Divorce Attorney

Divorce looks different for every family, and in a community like Davie, where households range from multigenerational ranches to suburban neighborhoods near Broward College, the issues that surface in a dissolution of marriage are as varied as the people going through one. Property questions, retirement accounts, parenting arrangements, and debt allocation all have to get resolved, one way or another. The difference between a resolution you can live with and one that leaves you feeling blindsided often comes down to how well you understood the process before it started. A Davie divorce attorney who focuses on reaching fair, workable outcomes, rather than escalating conflict, can change what this experience actually looks like for you and your children.

Florida is an equitable distribution state, which means courts divide marital assets and debts fairly, though not always equally, based on a set of statutory factors. What qualifies as marital property, how the court weighs contributions each spouse made, and what happens when one party undervalues or conceals assets are all genuinely contested questions in many Broward County divorces. The complexity increases when the couple owns a business, holds real estate, or has significant retirement savings. Even in situations where both spouses want to reach an agreement quickly, those agreements have to be legally sound to be enforceable, and that requires more than a handshake or a form downloaded from the internet.

Divorcing couples in Davie file through the Broward County court system, and local procedures, filing requirements, and judicial expectations shape how cases actually move. Familiarity with those local realities matters. At Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A., we work with clients across Broward County who are looking for a thoughtful, structured path through divorce, whether that means an uncontested resolution reached through mediation or a contested matter that requires more intensive advocacy.

Divorce Issues That Come Up in Davie Cases

• Equitable Distribution of Property: Florida courts divide marital assets and liabilities based on factors including each spouse’s economic circumstances, contributions to the marriage, and the length of the union. Homes near Davie’s western suburbs, investment accounts, and business interests each present their own valuation and classification challenges.
• Parenting Plans and Time-Sharing: Florida no longer uses the term “custody.” Instead, courts approve parenting plans that specify each parent’s responsibilities and a time-sharing schedule. When parents disagree, the court applies a best interests of the child standard that considers a wide range of factors, including each parent’s ability to facilitate a relationship with the other parent.
• Child Support Calculations: Florida uses an income shares model that accounts for both parents’ net incomes, the number of overnights each parent has, health insurance costs, and child care expenses. Disputes often arise around the calculation of income for self-employed parents or those whose earnings fluctuate seasonally.
• Alimony Under Florida’s Current Framework: Following the 2023 changes to Florida alimony law, the available forms of spousal support are bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, and durational alimony. Permanent alimony is no longer available. The duration of the marriage and each spouse’s financial need and ability to pay are central to any alimony determination.
• Uncontested and Mediated Divorce: Many Davie couples are able to resolve all divorce issues through mediation or direct negotiation, producing a marital settlement agreement that both parties sign. When both spouses agree on the terms, the process moves faster and costs considerably less than contested litigation, and the outcome tends to hold up better over time.
• Business and Professional Practice Valuation: Davie has a strong entrepreneurial community. When one or both spouses own a business or professional practice, determining the marital portion of that asset and arriving at a fair valuation requires careful analysis, sometimes with the involvement of a financial expert.
• Modification of Existing Orders: Circumstances change after a final divorce judgment. A parent may relocate, incomes may shift substantially, or a parenting arrangement may no longer serve the child’s needs. Florida courts can modify parenting plans and support orders when the requesting party demonstrates a substantial change in circumstances.

Why Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. Handles Davie Divorce Cases Differently

Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. is a Fort Lauderdale-based family law practice that serves clients throughout Broward County, including Davie and the surrounding communities. The firm’s approach centers on reaching durable, fair agreements through cooperative means wherever possible, with uncontested divorce and mediation as core service areas. This is not a practice that defaults to litigation as a first move. The focus on amicable resolution reflects a genuine belief that most families are better served by a process that preserves their ability to communicate and co-parent long after the divorce is finalized.

That said, the firm understands that not every case resolves cooperatively, and that even in amicable cases, the legal documents have to be precise. A marital settlement agreement that is vague or poorly drafted creates problems when one party later interprets a term differently than the other intended. The firm’s attention to the details of every agreement, parenting plan, and court filing reflects an understanding that the paperwork is what the court will enforce, not the verbal understanding the parties reached in a conference room. For clients in Davie who want a divorce attorney they can actually talk to, who explains what is happening and why, Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. offers that kind of direct, substantive representation.

What to Do When You Are Ready to Start the Divorce Process in Davie

If you have decided that divorce is the direction you are heading, the first practical step is gathering financial documentation before you engage an attorney or file anything. This means pulling together recent bank statements, credit card statements, mortgage documents, retirement account statements, tax returns from the past several years, and any records related to property you own. This matters because Florida requires both spouses to make full financial disclosure early in the process, and the more complete your own records are going in, the smoother that phase will be. If you have concerns that your spouse may not disclose everything accurately, document what you can access now, since access to certain accounts sometimes changes once proceedings begin.

Davie residents file for divorce through the Broward County Courthouse, located at 201 SE 6th Street in Fort Lauderdale. The Clerk of Courts manages the filing process, and initial filing requires a petition for dissolution of marriage along with a financial affidavit. If children are involved, additional documents related to the parenting plan and child support are required. Florida imposes a residency requirement: at least one spouse must have lived in Florida for six months immediately before filing. If both spouses meet this requirement and agree on all terms, the case may qualify as an uncontested divorce, which significantly simplifies and shortens the process.

One mistake people commonly make is waiting to consult an attorney until after they have already agreed to terms with their spouse. Those informal agreements, made at the kitchen table or through text messages, can create problems if they do not align with what Florida courts require in a parenting plan or if they leave major assets unaddressed. An attorney can review what you are considering before anything is committed to a formal agreement, and that review often catches issues that would have required expensive litigation to fix later. The consultation itself is where you get to ask specific questions about your situation, understand what equitable distribution would likely produce in your case, and decide whether mediation or a more formal process makes sense.

How the Process Actually Works from Filing to Final Judgment

Once a petition for dissolution of marriage is filed in Broward County, the other spouse must be formally served and given an opportunity to respond. In an uncontested case, the responding spouse signs a waiver of service, which moves the case along quickly. Both parties then exchange financial affidavits, and if all terms are agreed upon, the marital settlement agreement and parenting plan (if applicable) are submitted to the court for approval. A judge reviews the documents, and in many uncontested cases, no court appearance is required. Final judgments in uncontested Florida divorces can be entered in a matter of weeks once all paperwork is in order.

Contested cases follow a different path. After the initial pleadings, the case typically enters a discovery phase where both parties formally exchange information and documentation. This can include depositions, requests for financial records, and, in cases involving business assets or disputed property values, expert evaluations. Contested Broward County divorces that do not resolve through mediation may proceed to a trial before a circuit court judge. Florida law requires mediation in most family law cases before a contested matter goes to trial, so the parties almost always have at least one formal opportunity to negotiate a settlement before a judge decides the outcome. Mediation in this context is not optional; it is a step the court system builds into the process specifically because most cases do settle when both parties sit down with a trained mediator and hear each other out.

For couples who want to be thoughtful about the process from the start, collaborative divorce is another option. In a collaborative case, both spouses retain attorneys who commit to resolving all issues outside of court. Additional professionals, such as financial advisors or child development specialists, may be brought in to assist with specific issues. The goal is a negotiated resolution reached through structured dialogue, not courtroom argument. This approach tends to work well when both parties are motivated to reach an agreement and want professionals around the table helping them do it constructively.

Questions Davie Residents Ask About Divorce

How long does a divorce typically take in Broward County?

An uncontested divorce in Broward County can be finalized in as little as three to six weeks once all required documents are filed and approved. Contested cases take considerably longer, often several months to a year or more depending on the complexity of the issues and the court’s schedule. Mediation can shorten the timeline significantly even in cases that start out contested.

Does Florida require legal separation before filing for divorce?

No. Florida does not recognize legal separation as a formal status. Spouses may file for divorce at any point once residency requirements are met. If couples want to formalize arrangements while they decide whether to divorce, they can sometimes do so through other legal tools, but a separate legal separation filing is not part of the Florida divorce process.

How does the court divide the marital home in a Davie divorce?

The marital home is subject to equitable distribution. Options include one spouse buying out the other’s interest and refinancing the mortgage into one name, selling the home and dividing the proceeds, or, in cases involving minor children, delaying the sale temporarily to provide stability for the children. Which option works depends on the home’s equity, each spouse’s financial situation, and what both parties can agree to or what the court orders.

What happens to retirement accounts in a Florida divorce?

Retirement accounts accumulated during the marriage are marital assets subject to equitable distribution. Dividing them typically requires a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), which is a court order that instructs the plan administrator how to divide the account. The QDRO must be drafted carefully to avoid tax penalties and to accurately reflect the divorce agreement.

Can we use the same attorney for an uncontested divorce?

In Florida, one attorney cannot represent both spouses, as this creates a conflict of interest. One party can retain an attorney while the other proceeds without representation, but that arrangement carries real risks for the unrepresented spouse. A better approach for many couples is for each spouse to retain their own attorney while the attorneys work cooperatively to finalize the settlement agreement.

How does Florida calculate child support when one parent is self-employed?

Self-employment income is calculated based on gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses. Courts sometimes scrutinize claimed deductions carefully, particularly if they appear to reduce taxable income significantly. In disputed situations, a forensic accountant or financial expert may be retained to analyze business records and provide an opinion on what the parent’s actual income should be for support calculation purposes.

What happens if my spouse tries to hide assets during the divorce?

Florida requires full financial disclosure from both parties. If a spouse conceals assets, there are legal tools available to uncover them, including subpoenas for financial records, depositions, and discovery requests. Judges in Broward County take non-disclosure seriously. If concealment is discovered, it can affect the court’s equitable distribution decisions and, in some cases, result in sanctions.

Can a Davie couple complete their divorce entirely online?

Florida allows many uncontested divorce cases to be handled without an in-person court appearance. Documents can be filed electronically through the Broward County Clerk’s e-portal, and many cases are resolved on the papers alone. Whether a court appearance is required depends on the specifics of the case, including whether children are involved and whether the judge has any questions about the submitted documents.

What factors determine how much durational alimony a Davie spouse might receive?

Under Florida’s current alimony framework, durational alimony is available in marriages that do not qualify for rehabilitative support alone. The court looks at the length of the marriage, the requesting spouse’s demonstrated need, and the other spouse’s ability to pay. Duration caps apply based on the length of the marriage, and the alimony amount cannot exceed the requesting spouse’s reasonable need or a percentage of the paying spouse’s net income.

If we agree on everything, do we still need attorneys in a Davie divorce?

Having an attorney is not legally required in a Florida divorce, but the risks of proceeding without one are real. Marital settlement agreements that are vague, that omit key terms, or that fail to address mandatory provisions may be rejected by the court or may create enforcement problems later. An attorney who reviews or drafts the agreement can catch issues before they become disputes, and the cost of that review is typically far less than the cost of fixing a flawed agreement after the fact.

Representing Clients in Davie and Across Broward County

Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. serves clients in Davie and throughout the surrounding Broward County communities. Our client base extends across the Davie Ranch area, Stirling Road corridors, and neighborhoods near Nova Southeastern University and Broward College. We also represent clients in Cooper City, Weston, Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Hollywood, Dania Beach, Hallandale Beach, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, Lauderhill, Lauderdale Lakes, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors, and Deerfield Beach. Clients from the western Broward communities of Southwest Ranches and Parkland also work with our firm. Our principal office is in Fort Lauderdale, centrally located for clients throughout Broward County, and we also serve clients in the St. Augustine and St. Johns County area. Whether your case involves a simple uncontested filing or a more involved contested matter, we work with families across this region who are looking for family law representation grounded in substance and realistic about what each client actually needs.

Speak with a Davie Divorce Attorney at Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A.

If you are ready to get real answers about what your divorce will involve, what you can expect from the Broward County court process, and what options make sense for your situation, the time to start that conversation is now. The sooner you understand the legal framework, the better positioned you are to make decisions you will not regret. A Davie divorce attorney at Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. can walk you through the process, explain your rights under Florida law, and help you move forward in a way that protects what matters most to you. Contact our office to schedule a consultation and get the guidance your situation deserves.