What is a summons?

A Summons is a legal document which gives notice to your spouse (the Respondent) that an action was started and sets forth the time by which he or she must respond. 

What is a Petition?

The Petition is a legal document in the action for Divorce or Modification.  It contains the basic details and reasons for the relief requested it also contains other requests such as child custody, visitation, child support and alimony, equitable distribution of marital property, health insurance, life insurance, payment of legal fees and experts' fees, exclusive possession of the marital residence, orders of protection, etc.

What happens after my spouse is served with the summons?

If you start the divorce action by filing and then serving a summons upon your spouse with a Petition for Dissolution, your spouse then has twenty days to file  a "responsive pleading" with the Clerk of the Court and  upon you (or your Divorce Attorney). Your spouse may not only file a responsive pleading but may also file and serve upon you or your attorney a counter-petition for divorce. The practice of filing and serving a counter-petition is  common  Return to top of page

Do I have a right to see my spouse's financial records?

In Florida, both spouses have the right to complete Financial Disclosure as to the other spouse's income, assets and expenses. Return to top of page

How do I prove my divorce case?  

You do not need to generally  prove anything except that your marriage is irretrievably broken. That takes one spouses testimony only. One of you  raise your right hand in Court and state that: "Your marriage is irrretrievably Broken".  That's it, you win. Thats all it takes. BUT,  that  does not resolve any issues regarding children,  property, debts, support, attorneys fees, etc. It ONLY gets you two legally divorced, ie. you and him/her are no longer married!  The legal divorce is the easy part! Return to top of page

What is Spousal Support?  

It is Alimony. Alimony can be awarded to EITHER spouse based on, Primarily,  the need and abilty of the parties. Alimony is a very inexact area of Florida Family Law. There are numerous types of alimony:  Permanent (Until one of you die or remarry, ouch, or great,  depending on who you are), Temporary (while the divorce is going on to keep things status quo, ie., mortgage payments paid, electricity paid, cable and phone paid, car payments and insurance paid,  lawn guy paid, food on the table, you get the idea), lump sum (I will take it, or give it, all now, so I do not have to write or receive your checks monthly), Rehabilatative, (help me get  educated or trained  to get a good job so I can be self supporting), etc. The variations are endless. eturn to top of page

How is Alimony calculated?

The Court must consider the standard of living of both spouses that was established during the marriage, lenght of the marriage, the circumstances of the case and of the parties, whether the spouse who is getting the award lacks sufficient  income to provide for his/her reasonable needs and whether the party paying the alimony  has sufficient  income to provide for the other's reasonable needs.

Factors which must be considered in determining amount and duration are:

•  The Standard of living aquired by the parties, ie. travel, entertaining, cars driven, savings ability throughout the marriage,  size and location of home, etc.
•  The income and property of each spouse including marital property distributed to each spouse.
• The duration of the marriage and the age and health of each spouse
• The present and future earning capacity of each spouse
• The ability of the spouse seeking maintenance to become self supporting and, if applicable, the period of time and training necessary to do so
• Reduced or lost lifetime earning capacity of the spouse seeking maintenance as a result of having foregone or delayed education, training, employment, or career opportunities during the marriage
• The presence of children of the marriage in the respective homes of each spouse
• The tax consequences to each spouse
• Contributions and services of the spouse seeking maintenance as a spouse, parent, wage earner and homemaker, and to the career or career potential of the other spouse
• The wasteful dissipation of marital property by either spouse
• Any transfer of property or encumbrance made in contemplation of a matrimonial action without fair consideration
• Any other factor which the Court shall expressly find to be just and proper
  

What is Equitable Distribution of marital property?


It is a method for distributing property acquired by either spouse upon the divorce. The Court must distribute "equitably" all "marital property" regardless of the manner in which title is held, considering the following factors:

• Income of each party at time of marriage
• Income of each party at time of commencement of the divorce action
• contribution of each party the others career
• Property of each party at the time of marriage
• Property of each party at the time of the commencement of action for divorce
• Duration of marriage
• Age of both spouses
• Health of both spouses
• Need of custodial parent to occupy or own marital residence
• Loss of inheritance rights after the divorce
• Loss of pension rights upon after the divorce
• Any award of maintenance

Equitable claims to or interest in or direct or indirect contribution to the acquisition of the marital property by the spouse not having title, including: Joint efforts; Expenditures; Contributions as a spouse, parent, wage earner and homemaker and to the career or career potential of the other party; Liquid or non-liquid character of all marital property; Probable future financial circumstances of each party; Impossibility or difficulty of evaluating any asset or interest in a business, corporation or profession; The desirability of retaining the asset, or interest in the business, corporation or profession free from any claim or interference by the other party; The tax consequences to each party; The wasteful dissipation of assets by either spouse; Any transfer or encumbrance made in contemplation of a matrimonial action without fair consideration; and any other factor which the Court shall expressly find to be just and proper. urn to top of page

Does equitable distribution mean that all marital assets get evenly divided between the souses?

No, equitable does not mean equal. Marital property must be distributed equitably between the spouses, considering the circumstances of the case and of each spouse. Return to top of page

What constitutes a Marital Settlement Agreement?

Marital Settlement Agreements include Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements, Separation Agreements and Settlement Agreements made by the two spouses rn to top of page

When can Settlement Agreements be made?

Before or during the marriage. turn to top of page

What formality is required in order to make such Agreements valid and Enforceable?

Agreements must be in writing and signed by both parties. turn to top of page

What may be included in such agreements?

The following may be included in a Matrimonial Agreement:

• A contract to make a testamentary provision or
• A waiver of any right to elect against a will

Provisions for the ownership, division or distribution of separate property; Provisions for the ownership, division or distribution of marital property; Provisions for the amount and duration of maintenance; these provisions must be fair and reasonable at the time of making the agreement and must not be unconscionable at the time of entry of final judgment

Other terms and conditions of the marriage relationship; these provisions must be fair and reasonable at the time of making the agreement and must not be unconscionable at the time of entry of final judgment

Provisions for custody, care, education and support of any child of the parties

Can I obtain Child Support Enforcement services?

Anyone can request "child support enforcement services". Florida Law provides that these services be made available, upon application, to persons receiving or not receiving aid to dependent children