Jacksonville, FL Divorce Attorney
At our firm we understand that divorce is one of the most difficult experience an individual can go through. Feelings of pain, anger, and uncertainty quite often go hand in hand with the whole process. Despite this difficult time, it is still nonetheless important you hire an attorney and law firm that will diligently and vigorously represent your rights throughout the entire case. We have seen many spouses add insult to injury in their time of need by hiring incompetent legal counsel. Getting through your situation can be made much better by hiring an experienced and aggressive law firm to ensure you come out the other end happy with the process as a whole. At our law firm we strive, every day, to meet all of the needs of our family law clients through results orientated representation.
What You Should Expect from a Law Firm
When you go to any law firm you should expect to meet with an attorney who will be personally handling your case. Many times, individuals seeking legal advice end up in a giant, cold, and unwelcoming law firm only to be met by a law clerk or legal assistant. Such employees of a law firm are not in a legal position to answer all of your questions. At our firm, on the other hand, you will meet directly with our lead counsel, Timothy Armstrong, in a non-rushed and warm setting. During our initial consultation we will answer all of your questions and work out with you your goals and strategies going forward. You will be kept updated on your case and the progress of your legal matter. Similarly, you should feel confident knowing you are represented by a dedicated and skilled advocate who will fight for you in court whether your case is hard, easy, or somewhere in between. We pride ourselves on taking tough cases and seeing them through to the end. Here, at our firm, you will ultimately be treated with the respect and compassion you deserve while knowing your family law matter is being handled by competent and skilled counsel. A Jacksonville divorce lawyer can help you in your time of need.
Choosing the Right Legal Counsel May Benefit Your Case
The legal definition of divorce is dissolution of marriage. Florida has is a no-fault state which simply means blame or fault on behalf of either spouse does not need to be plead in order for the case to proceed. Many times a client or potential client will ask us which spouse must file first. In Florida, either spouse can file the dissolution of marriage with or without the other party’s knowledge. I am similarly often asked what is required to file for dissolution in our state. The answer is quite simply that in Florida the filing spouse must only show (1) the marriage was lawful or legal, (2) one of the spouses was a continuous Florida resident for a term of six months prior to the filing of the divorce petition, and (3) that the marriage was either “irretrievably broken” or one of the spouses suffered from some form of mental condition or was mentally incapacitated. In addition, at the time of filing it is not necessary that the parties even live together. Spouses living in separate homes still qualify to petition the court for dissolution.
Once these threshold requirements are met the husband and wife may chose one of two forms of proceeding with the divorce. Namely, the parties may choose a (1) regular or contested dissolution of marriage or a (2) simplified dissolution of marriage. We have dedicated two separate pages in our website addressing the intricacies of each form of divorce. They are:
Successfully Navigating Your Jacksonville Divorce
The quickest way for a divorcing spouse to resolve their case is to agree to some form of settlement agreement. As the name implies, a settlement agreement is a document, agreed by the parties, that is given effect by court order. This streamlines the litigation in that the parties have actually sat down together, usually through legal counsel, and agreed upon all or the majority of the terms in their case. Many times this is an effective and time saving manner in which to resolve the differences between the spouses. On the other hand, our experience has demonstrated that many, if not the majority, of divorce cases end up being contested and a formal lawsuit or petition needs to be filed. This simply means the parties cannot agree on some or all of the legal issues and litigation is necessary to protect the interest of our client. Our job is to listen to our client and develop a plan that maximizes the potential outcome for the client. This may mean proceeding with a well drafted settlement agreement or filing a petition for dissolution of marriage. In short our job is to be an effective legal hammer for our client. Contact a skilled divorce attorney in Jacksonville for questions about your legal matter today.
Navigating Marital Issues in Florida
Dissolution would be much simpler if it just involved two spouses moving on with their lives in a separate manner. However, as in most cases, other critically important issues must be resolved in the majority of dissolution matters. Very important matters often come up such as alimony, custody, child support, and equitable distribution or marital assets and debts. These important family law matters often go hand in hand with a divorce case. We have devoted other pages for more detail on each of these important issues.
Contacting the firm is free. We understand that the disputes facing you, your family or your business can seem daunting. It is our goal to put you at ease.
