Florida Divorce Law

It is important for those who are thinking of divorce in Florida to have a thorough understanding of the divorce laws in the state. For instance, a couple cannot file for divorce in Florida unless one of the parties has lived in the state for at least six months. To learn more about the ins and outs of divorce in Florida, please reach out to our Fort Lauderdale legal team today.

Dissolution of Marriage

In Florida, divorce is referred to as a dissolution of marriage, of which there are two different types:

• A simplified dissolution of marriage, which is available to couples with no children and no disagreements regarding property division and other divorce-related issues and tends to be resolved much more quickly than standard divorces; and
• A regular dissolution of marriage, which occurs when two parties either share children or haven’t reached an agreement on alimony and property division.

A regular dissolution can be either contested or uncontested. With a contested divorce, the couples involved will need to go to court where a judge will hear evidence on issues related to the division of marital assets and debts, child custody, and alimony, before making a decision on these issues. Uncontested divorces, on the other hand, occur when a couple reaches an out-of-court agreement on these matters via mediation or negotiation and then presents a final divorce settlement to the court for approval.

Finalizing a Divorce

Couples can only finalize their Florida divorce if they first contend with a host of divorce-related issues, such as:

• Property division, with couples (or the court) needing to decide how marital assets, or assets acquired during the marriage, will be divided upon divorce;
• Alimony, which is a type of financial payment made by a higher earning spouse to a lesser earning spouse to help the latter transition to post-divorce life;
• The division of parenting time, or how much time a child will spend with each parent, as well as the division of parental responsibility, which dictates how parents will make decisions for their child’s well-being; and
• Child support, which is typically paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent to cover the cost of rent, food, clothing, and educational expenses.

How a couple resolves these kinds of issues will depend a lot on their circumstances, including their incomes, the number of children they share, and the types and value of the assets they accumulated during the marriage. For help crafting your own unique divorce settlement agreement that addresses these issues, reach out to our legal team today.

Contact Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. for Legal Help

If you are thinking about filing for divorce in Florida, contact dedicated and compassionate Fort Lauderdale divorce lawyer Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591. Our legal team can help guide you through this difficult process, while working to protect your legal interests and rights. Initial consultations are offered free of charge, so don’t hesitate to reach out to us by phone or online message today.

Sources:

leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.021.html

floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet010/#overview