Divorce

Getting divorced can be complicated. It can be scary and intimidating. When you find yourself facing a divorce, you need a law firm you can trust. You need the divorce professionals at the Family Law Advocates.

Our experienced Tampa area divorce attorneys understand what it takes to zealously advocate for your rights. We also understand that nothing matters more than your future. With each case, we start by providing the client with an honest and thorough assessment of their situation. From there, we work to develop a sensible and strategic plan for meeting your goals. As skilled litigators and negotiators, we will be there for you both in and out of the courtroom.

In any Florida divorce, there are various issues to be resolved, including:

• Division of Marital Property and Debt
• Child Custody and Parental Responsibilities
• Visitation (Time Sharing)
• Spousal Alimony
• Child Support
• Temporary Child Custody and Support Orders; and
• More

Divorce cases can be complex or simple, contested or uncontested. No matter how simple your case might seem, you only get one chance to do your divorce correctly.

The Family Law Advocates focus exclusively on helping clients with divorce and family law cases and we believe concentrating on one specific area of the law allows us to provide the quality representation our clients deserve. It also allows us to work efficiently. We appreciate that our clients are paying for our services. As such, we believe in striving for cost-effective divorce without sacrificing on the quality of our work.

While an uncontested or simple divorce can be done relatively quickly, contested cases can take several months to resolve. When there are child custody issues or assets to be divided, it’s easy for arguments to arise. Ultimately, each divorce case will conclude with either an agreement or a final, contested court hearing. Recognizing that judicial relief may be needed while your case is pending, Florida divorce law also allows people to seek interim orders concerning temporary visitation, temporary spousal support, temporary child support, or temporary property use.

Financial Issues: After the filing of your divorce case, both parties will be required to provide mandatory financial disclosures. The purpose of these disclosures is to give each side a clear picture of the assets, debts, and incomes. These disclosures are necessary for determining the nature and value of the marital property and what income is available to the parties. Some cases will require experts, such as real estate appraisers or perhaps a business valuator. Florida law provides for an “equitable division” of the marital property, which doesn’t necessarily mean “equal.” Florida law also allows a spouse to seek alimony from the other spouse, which is designed to help with meeting reasonable financial needs. When dealing with division of the marital estate, our attorneys want to make sure that the division plan is something practical and fair for our clients.

Child Custody Issues: The Family Law Advocates recognize that in a divorce with children, the biggest point of contention is often related to visitation and what the time-sharing schedule will be. Most parents want as much time as possible. While equal, or 50/50, time-sharing may be appropriate in some cases, Florida law does not mandate equal time. In fact, Florida law used to be based on the presumption that 50/50 time was not in a child’s best interest. While the presumption no longer applies, it’s often the case that one parent may end up with primary residential custody and more visitation time than the other. When child custody battles arise, our attorneys strive to effectively advocate for their client’s positions. Some cases may require the appointment of a child custody expert to investigate and report regarding what type of time-sharing schedule is appropriate. In addition to visitation, there will also need to be an allocation of parental responsibilities regarding the making of major medical, education, and other significant decisions for the children. In most cases, but not all, the parents will end up with joint, or equal, decision-making authority.

Child Support: In cases with children, child support will also need to be resolved. Florida child support is generally based on a formula which applies the parents’ incomes as the primary factor. In addition to monthly support, orders may also be needed regarding payment of medical, educational, activity, or other child expenses.

Our professionals have been representing divorce and family law clients for years. Collectively, we have helped thousands of people resolve their divorce, child custody, and child support issues. We have significant courtroom experience and a firm grasp on what factors a judge looks for when deciding both financial and child related matters.

With any case, we believe that detail and preparation matter. If your case heads to a court hearing, we want to be ready to fight for you. This requires your attorney to be keenly aware of the relevant facts and circumstances of your divorce.

Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach to divorce, the Family Law Advocates believe in creating a fully-customized plan that is tailored to each client’s specific needs. Your case and set of facts are unique to you, as are your goals. We believe good communication is the cornerstone to the attorney-client relationship and our attorneys strive to be accessible and responsive to their clients. Informed clients make better decisions. Through good communication, we are able to work with you to develop and execute good strategies and solutions for resolving your divorce.

From the beginning, we take the time to listen to your “story” to determine the relevant facts we may need to prove in court. We are zealous advocates for our clients when we need to be, and compassionate partners for our clients whenever they need a helping hand.

The Family Law Advocates also help clients with post-divorce matters such as Contempt of Court, enforcement of orders, and modifications. Finishing your divorce may only be the first chapter of your story. Our goal is to build lasting relationships and to be there for you should future problems arise.

When you find yourself in need of an experienced and passionate divorce and family law team, give the Family Law Advocates a call. You can also contact us online to schedule a consultation with one of our Tampa divorce lawyers.