Category Archives: Divorce
When the Marriage Is on the Rocks and Someone Is, Too: Substance Abuse Allegations in Palm Beach County Divorce
Divorce is rarely simple, but when substance abuse enters the picture, the stakes get higher and the proceedings get more complicated. Whether the allegations are being raised about you or your spouse, they can affect nearly every major issue a judge has to decide, from where the kids live to how the marital assets… Read More »
To Have and to Hold, Then to Divide: How Inherited Assets Work in a Florida Divorce
You worked hard your whole life, or perhaps a relative left you something meaningful after theirs. Now you are going through a divorce and wondering whether the inheritance you received is suddenly up for grabs. The short answer is: it depends. Florida law draws a careful line between what is yours alone and what… Read More »
How Florida Courts Value a Closely Held Business in a Divorce
If you or your spouse owns a business that is not publicly traded, you are facing one of the most complicated financial questions that can arise in a Florida divorce. Closely held businesses, including family businesses, professional practices, and small corporations, do not have a share price you can simply look up online. So… Read More »
Dissipation of Marital Assets: What It Is and How It Affects Your Divorce Settlement
Going through a divorce is stressful enough on its own. But what happens when you suspect your spouse has been spending down marital money, draining accounts, or racking up debt, right before or during the divorce process? This is called dissipation of marital assets, and it can have a real impact on how property… Read More »
Jurisdiction in Florida Divorce Cases
Most of the time, teachers consider it a relief when students ask questions, rather than sitting there like bumps on a log or, in college classrooms, scrolling on their phones. Students’ questions, whether funny or disturbing, are often the highlight of the day that teachers tell their spouses about at dinner or text their… Read More »
Simplified Divorce Is Faster and Cheaper, but It Is Not Painless
There is no such thing as a painless divorce, but divorce cases that are truly hideous, even by the standards of family law attorneys are the exception to the rule. Most couples finalize their divorces through mediation, even if they have minor children. The more financial entanglements you have, the more there is to… Read More »
Beware of DIY Marital Settlement Agreements
The day your divorce becomes final is usually not the day that your enmity toward your ex-spouse peaks. Some couples spend years antagonizing each other, and once they can both voice the fact that they no longer want to be married to each other, the road to being co-parents, friends, or whatever the next… Read More »
Your Spouse’s Corporate Finances Are Your Business If You Divorce
Some couples keep the peace in their marriage by agreeing, implicitly or explicitly, to stay out of each other’s business about contentious issues, especially those related to money. For example, they might each deposit part of their income into a joint bank account for household bills, while also retaining their respective bank accounts, so… Read More »
A Middle-Class Ex-Spouse Can Keep the Marital Home or Avoid Paying Alimony, but Not Both
When divorced people tell you that their divorce ruined them financially, it is usually because they lost their marital home or because a substantial portion of their income goes to paying alimony. Of course, in every divorce case, each ex-spouse gets only a portion of the marital property. If your spouse depended on you… Read More »
Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Keep or Sell the Marital Home
Homeownership is the hallmark of financial stability, and it is harder now than ever for people who do not currently own a home to get in on the homeownership game. If you and your spouse decide to sell the marital home and divide the proceeds, you might both be renting for the rest of… Read More »