You may have been caught off-guard by the marital problems that rocked your relationship with your spouse and ultimately led to your decision to divorce. Perhaps you are one of many Florida spouses who had to deal with the hurt that infidelity causes. Maybe there wasn’t a single, cataclysmic event that prompted a breakdown in your relationship but numerous issues that you finally determined were not resolvable.
Since you’ve always been the type of person who tries to focus on the present while moving toward the future, you now just want to leave the past behind, do what you need to do to finalize a settlement and concentrate on your plans for a new lifestyle. Divorce can get quite messy and can be a highly stressful experience, especially if you go to court without knowing your rights or understanding various laws and regulations that will undoubtedly apply to your case.
Keep stress to a minimum
Ending your marriage is an emotional, as well as a legal process. Especially if you were with your spouse for 10 or more years, it can be difficult to let go even if you’ve decided it is in your own best interest to do so. The following ideas may help you keep control over your emotions and avoid issues that can cause stress:
- Having to hunt down documents at the last minute causes chaos and may make you feel overwhelmed. It is always a good idea to be organized and prepared for negotiation sessions or litigation by having all pertinent paperwork in order ahead of time.
- Leave personal feelings out of it. Finalizing your divorce is more about making sure you are financially set for the future and have taken care of any issues regarding your children, if you’re a parent, rather than rehashing all the problems that led to your break-up in the first place.
- Keep the word “amicable” in mind when meeting with your spouse or appearing in court. It is often possible to achieve a fair and agreeable settlement without contention if you and your spouse agree to cooperate and compromise.
- Building a strong support system is one of the best ways to keep stress levels low in divorce. Close friends and family members, faith ministers, local support groups and legal advocates are all great assets to have on hand when preparing to dissolve a marriage.
You are not legally obligated to hire an attorney in order to obtain a divorce in Florida or any other state. However, going it alone in court is definitely more stressful because you may encounter numerous legal challenges that you are unsure how to handle. Acting alongside an experienced family law attorney means you have someone well-versed in all laws pertaining to divorce on hand to speak and act on your behalf.
