Divorce Is Not One Size Fits All

October 7, 2024 | General Divorce
By: Chad Layton, Esq.

I don’t know anyone that wants a divorce. Divorce is a difficult process for the entire family. If you, or someone that you know, is facing a divorce, my advice is to do some research on divorce options in Florida before taking any action. 10.02.24 Mindful Divorce Divorce Is Not One Size Fits All 1

You will learn quickly that the way spouses and families handle divorce in Florida has changed drastically in the past ten years.

Filing a lawsuit, and dragging your entire family through the legal system is no longer the norm. There are many good alternatives that will save you and your family a great deal of time, money, and emotional damage.

Here Are 3 Out of Court Divorce Options That I Recommend:

Divorce Mediation – is an option that you have likely heard of from someone that you know, or even in the news. This is a tried-and-true method that allows you and your spouse to hire a mediator to help you work through difficult issues in your divorce. One point that you may not have considered is that mediation often occurs in contested divorce lawsuits after you have spent a great deal of time and money fighting in court. My recommendation is to seek mediation prior to filing any divorce litigation. You have the ability to shortcut all of the unnecessary fighting and court hearings if you are able to reach an agreement with a trained mediator before you or your spouse files for divorce. This option is called pre-suit divorce mediation. Once you reach an agreement, you can then file an uncontested divorce. Our office helps spouses and families with this out of court mediation option on a regular basis.
Collaborative Divorce – is a divorce process option that is the gold standard in helping you and your spouse define and resolve all of the issues that need to be resolved to put your family in a position to thrive after your divorce. Collaborative divorce is a comprehensive approach to divorce that provides you and your spouse with the benefit of having experienced divorce attorneys working with you to identify all of the issues in your divorce that must be addressed to assure that you leave nothing to chance. You will not be faced with business interests, deeds, retirements accounts, debts, or any other issues that were ignored in your divorce. You will not be left with any loose ends. Instead, you and your spouse will finalize your divorce with the peace of mind that you can start your new life on solid ground. Additionally, in the collaborative divorce process you will maintain control of your divorce. You won’t be subject to the mandates of a judge. You won’t be forced to wait months and months for court dates. You won’t be forced to share your most personal financial information and statements with the court. You won’t be subject to subpoenas and depositions and adversarial court hearings that can cause lifelong damage to your family. Our office helps spouses and families with Collaborative Divorce on a regular basis.
Divorce for Parents – if you are a parent with children under the age of 18, I highly recommend that you pursue Mediation and/or Collaborative Divorce before going down the path of court litigation. There have been countless studies over the years that show children suffer a great deal of unnecessary emotional harm when their parents go through a drawn-out legal battle against one another in their divorce. This likely does not surprise you, it makes sense that children would feel the harmful effects of a nasty legal battle between their parents. The important take away here is that there are good and professional options that will help you resolve your divorce without going to Court and causing unnecessary harm to your children. Our office focuses on putting children first in divorce.