Destin Law Blog

Like other Florida residents who are considering divorce, you may be intimidated by the thought of a costly and lengthy court battle. Is there any way to end your marriage in a more civil and less stressful way? You may want to consider an uncontested divorce.

What exactly is uncontested divorce, you may wonder? This is also known as amicable divorce, even if you and your spouse are not feeling very amicable toward each other. In this case, “amicable” applies to the non-confrontational and cooperative nature of the uncontested divorce process.

Arguing over household chores is a common pastime experienced by couples in Florida and everywhere else. According to research, money and communication may be the two factors that determine whether such squabbles result in a couple ending their relationship. The link between spending money on household chores and the success of a relationship was explored by a study conducted by Harvard Business School.

By outsourcing tasks such as cleaning the house or doing laundry, people had more time to spend with their families. They also had lower levels of stress because they weren't trying to clean something while also dealing with a child or being late for work. A 2017 study from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that couples who spent $100 to $200 on such services were happier. Of course, for some couples, hiring help isn't an affordable option.

When Florida couples get a divorce, they may want to take steps that will help protect their finances. For example, couples might want to separate their joint accounts and open individual ones. They may also want to review their credit records to make sure they are aware of all accounts and should avoid taking on more debt.

While they might want to use a personal account to save for a divorce, it is important that couples be transparent with one another so it does not appear they are trying to hide assets. For example, a person should inform the other spouse if removing something valuable from the home, and neither should take all the assets from a shared account. A person who is concerned about a spouse destroying valued possessions might remove those possessions but should include them on the list of assets filed with the court. People can also get copies of documents related to assets and take photographs of any objects that are valuable. They may also want to get a post office box for privacy.

Some Florida parents may have visitation rights to their children after a divorce, but this is not the same as custody and may not give them the right to have their children live with them. Visitation refers to a person's right to time with his or her children. A common visitation arrangement might involve a child spending every other weekend and one weeknight with the noncustodial parent.

While many people may think of custody as referring to which parent a child lives with, it is actually just the definition of physical custody. Legal custody refers to which parent has the right to make decisions about a child's religion, health care, school and other important issues. It is not uncommon for one parent to have physical custody while both of the ex-spouses share legal custody.