Often parents do not know what to expect during their divorce. Wifes tend to believe that their divorce lawyer in Miami are their emotional therapists. Husbands tend to treat their divorce as a business transaction. If child custody, time-sharing or a parenting plan is at issue, mothers often exhibit anxiety and outrage which inhibits their ability to think clearly.
Unfortunately, some South Florida divorce litigants have difficulty compromising. If your case involves a violent or abusive spouse or one who is intentionally impoverishing his or her family by not providing alimony or child support, you should considering hiring an attorney to handle the complex legal issues involved in your divorce in Fort Lauderdale.
In some cases, a husband can take the wife’s jewelry, pictures and inherited gifts. He can cancel a credit card so when the wife attempts to buy groceries the transaction is declined. Even worse, the husband can take all of the financial data prior to the filing of a divorce.
It is important to learn about the family finances prior to filing for your divorce in Miami-Dade. You should know where the checkbook is located, how the bills are paid, what type of investments you and your spouse have and where the tax returns and important financial documents are stored.
In many cases, a spouse naively relies upon the other spouse to handle the finances. If you do not look at credit card and bank statements, question the expenses or manage your family expenses, it can be extremely shocking when you discover IRS tax liens, that real property you own is in foreclosure or that your spouse has gambled away your family fortune.
When you meet with your Broward alimony lawyer, it is important to educate yourself about the law so that you do not have unrealistic expecations. You may not be able to continue to live at the same standard of living which was once established during the intact marriage. You may not understand the benefits of having a parenting plan which includes shared parental responsibility.
It is also important to understand that your marital and family law attorney expects to be paid for the hard work that he or she does for your case. Yet, sometimes resolving tough financial matters such as business valuation, alimony and child custody issues can be time consuming and expensive.
Last but not lease, a spouse who has been traumatized and betrayed must understand that their lawyer and the judge assigned to their case are not conspiring against them. Lawyers do not “cut deals” with a judge. A competent South Florida divorce attorney is always aware of the ethical boundaries which are necessary in order to do what is best for your case.