The common emotions surrounding any uncharted and new endeavor is fear of the unknown. Therefore, in order to calm nerves and plan for the journey, people seek out advice to ensure they are mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally prepared. A divorce is no different. Your Florida Divorce Attorney has seen many cases and is an experienced advocate in family law matters. They will be able to provide you with the knowledge and answers to all your questions prior to your divorce in order to settle your mind and prepare you for these proceedings.
Of course, one of the main concerns in any divorce is the effect on the children and what the new normal will look like. In Florida, 50/50 shared parental custody is more common than not. Absent evidence of detriment to the child, such as abuse, domestic violence, or a violent criminal past of a parent the court will likely award shared custody and determine a timesharing plan. Therefore, you will need to anticipate time spent away from your child. Further, it will be important to note a timesharing arrangement that works best for you. Note the holidays that are important to share with your child, as well as the type of communication you will want to engage in during your time separated from your child. Being able to take time in advance and come to terms with split time with your child, as well as beginning to formulate a possible plan that may work for you will allow the transition to be a little easier. Further, you will need to anticipate the effects the divorce will have on your child. Science suggests, the majority of children of a divorced household struggle in some way to cope and transition. Therefore, it is imperative to take action to ensure your child is taken care of during this time. Have open conversations with your child alone or with your partner. Provide them with the schedule so they can look to some consistency during this time. While mentioning the items that may change, it will be important to inform the child of what will remain the same. Children thrive in consistency, therefore, keeping them in the same home, school, or extracurricular activities will allow them to find normalcy in their regular and safe spaces.
It is also important to know the timeline of a divorce process. However, a divorce can last anywhere from a month to years. Generally, the divorce proceedings take time. The time of a divorce depends on many different factors such as the demeanors of the parties, willingness to settle, alternatives to court, schedule conflicts, filing deadlines, exchange of information, and amicability between all sides. Therefore, do not be concerned if your divorce is taking time. Although it could be frustrating and you want to rush to the finale and sign the papers, this rush could hinder you. Use the time given to you by the schedule and divorce proceedings to really gather and arrange what you desire out of this divorce. List your needs and the items that matter most in comparison to those that you are willing to negotiate over. Time allows you to consciously make clear decisions, because what you may have thought at the beginning of your divorce process may no longer be your driving force anymore and you will find other items to be more important. Time also allows the emotions to subside to provide you with a more level head to logically consider your choices and alternatives. Many times, when an individual is pushing through a divorce process they are acting without conscious thought and rather through the emotional side fueled by anger. These types of actions can cause serious ramifications in the long run. Your Florida Divorce Attorney will keep you up to date on the timeline of your divorce proceedings as well as assisting you in documenting your needs and desired outcomes from this process.
Speaking to an attorney at our Florida office is free of charge, and we accept calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact us at 850-307-5211 or complete an online contact form to get in touch with a member of our team today.