Over 24 Years As A Florida Contested Divorce Attorney
A contested divorce case results when the parties are unable to come to an agreement on all the issues that arise in their case. The issues that arise in a typical case include:
- Division of marital property (personal property, vehicles, financial accounts, real property, etc.)
- Division of marital debt (loans, credit cards, etc.)
- Existence of alimony (amount and duration)
- Time-sharing of children
- Child support
How Does Contested Divorce Work In Florida?
A contested divorce case begins with the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. A process server provides that petition to the other party. After the other party answers the allegations contained in the petition, the case enters the discovery phase. Various documents are exchanged between the parties. Typically, these documents include:
- Tax returns
- Pay records
- Financial affidavit
- Credit card bills
- Bank records
- Insurance (home, car, health, life, etc.) information
- Other documents relating to the existence of other assets
- Other documents relating to the existence of other debts
A party can request that the other party provide information that may lead to admissible evidence. After the completion of the discovery phase of the case, a mediation is scheduled. Please see the page on mediation for more information. Most cases are resolved at mediation. If an agreement is not reached at mediation, the case will proceed to trial, where the judge will make a final decision on all the issues. Due to the time and work involved in a contested case, there is no way to determine the cost of a contested case in advance.
Protect Your Rights – Get A Jacksonville Contested Divorce Lawyer
You need a serious legal ally on your side in a contested divorce. I am that attorney. Please call me at 904-364-4565 or send me an email to schedule your initial consultation with me.