Vero Beach Divorces Lawyer

Hiring a Vero Beach divorces lawyer can help you navigate through all aspects of a divorce, including distribution of assets, child custody, and more.

Divorce is a difficult process for everyone involved, including children and other family members of the separating couple. Many couples make several efforts to work things out before finally deciding to file for divorce. Often this means that when both parties are finally ready to call it quits, they may be eager to get the divorce finalized as quickly as possible. It is important to make sure that you have carefully considered all aspects of the divorce, including distribution of assets and child custody, before agreeing on a divorce settlement. Your Florida divorce attorney can help answer any questions you have and may bring up issues you had not yet considered.

Understanding Family Court

At Apfelbaum Law, we know clients going through a divorce are often most concerned about their children. In some cases, the couple is able to reach a fair agreement for dividing timesharing on their own. This is usually preferable to an extended court battle, but sometimes the couple cannot come to an agreement. In this case, the court will make a decision in the best interests of the child or children. Usually, this means an arrangement where the kids get to spend time with both parents. The court may give one parent primary responsibility over one or more aspects of the children’s lives, such as primary residence, education, or medical care. For example, the court might decide the children will live with you but visit their other parent every other weekend.

The family court judge will take into consideration a wide variety of factors, including both parties’ fitness as parents and ability to provide for the child, the child’s preferences, and the parents’ living arrangements. For example, a judge could decide that if both parents are equally fit, it might be better for a child to stay in the home where she’s always lived and continue to attend the same school. In this case, the court would likely assign a certain amount of time for the child to visit her other parent each week or month. Family court judges almost always make an effort to give the parents shared responsibility, and ensure the child has access to both parents. Generally, exceptions to this rule are made only if shared parental responsibilities would be seriously detrimental to the child—for example, if there is evidence that one parent is abusive or neglectful.

Following Child Support Guidelines

Child support is another big area of concern for people seeking a divorce in Florida. Judges use the Florida Child Support Guidelines to determine how much support one party must pay another. In order for the court to make this determination, parents are required to file and exchange financial affidavits, including information about income and typical expenses. They will also need to fill out a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet. Sometimes these can be confusing, and your Florida divorce attorney can answer your questions, and help ensure the forms are filled out correctly. Generally, if one parent has primary physical timesharing and the other parent has visitation with less than 20 percent of overnights, the non-custodial parent will pay support to the custodial parent. The amount is calculated based on both the parents’ combined net income and each parent’s individual income.

If you have questions or concerns about divorce, family law, or other Florida legal services, please contact Apfelbaum Law for a consultation. We can be reached at 772-236-4009, or contactus@alawfl.com.