Divorce need not be a long and drawn out process in Florida. Spouses who decide to end their marriage and are often able to discuss legal issues in a peaceful manner have a good chance of moving on with their lives in a short period of time through a classic uncontested divorce.
Florida is a no-fault state when it comes to divorce. A party can file a petition for dissolution of marriage or divorce without having to assign blame or fault on the other spouse. It is enough for one party to prove that their marriage is irretrievably broken, although in contested cases, fault or the cause of the marital breakdown may be a factor in issues of custody, alimony, and distribution of the marital assets and debts.
Marital Settlement Agreement
The divorce process is made easier by a marital settlement agreement that separating spouses can discuss and execute before the divorce petition is filed in court. While the process of an uncontested divorce may be shorter and simplified, it is still important to consult an experienced divorce attorney. Your lawyer can analyze your situation objectively and provide an assessment of your entitlements and obligations under your proposed marital settlement agreement, in contrast with the potential outcome of a court decision in a contested case.
A marital settlement agreement can deal with matters of support, alimony, parenting plan (if there are children), and distribution of the marital assets. The parties are still required to submit their marital settlement agreement in court for approval. An uncontested divorce can become final in a short period of time, often between 4 to 8 weeks.
When an Uncontested Divorce Becomes Contested
It does happen that formerly cooperative couples in a marital settlement discussion begin to disagree along the way, turning what could have been an uncontested divorce into a contested or even a high-conflict dispute. Having a divorce attorney on your side can help you transition from uncontested to contested divorce where your attorney can aggressively represent you in court proceedings, present evidence on your behalf, and avail of court remedies that are appropriate in your case.
In Tampa, Florida, the Anton Legal Group has 30 years in uncontested divorce cases, helping clients who have little or no disagreement with their former spouses get through the divorce process in as little as 4 to 8 weeks. We are committed to provide personal service to clients and attention to detail so that they can focus on getting on with their lives.
If you’re contemplating divorce, we invite you to call one of our friendly attorneys at (813) 443-5249 for a no-obligation initial case analysis.