6 Tips For Stay-At-Home Moms Facing Florida Divorces

Many women choose to sacrifice their professional careers to
stay home and raise their family. Divorce can impact the lives of such ladies
in a greater way as compared to women with regular jobs. Stay-at-home moms facing Florida divorces must be prepared for
significant lifestyle changes which their newly single status entails. The fact
that they remained out of the workforce for so long can also go against them.
The biggest challenge in front of such housewives is to secure their financial
future as soon as possible. Instead of moping over their separation, they must
organize themselves and create a plan to successfully go through the entire
process. If you are a stay-at-home mom, then you must go through the following
tips before approaching a divorce attorney
in Fort Pierce or any other Florida
city.

The first step is to collect all important documents that
will help you in getting a favorable settlement. You will need papers which
provide proof of your income. Not going outside to work does not mean that a
person cannot have any sources of income. An investment made in stocks or a
business which gives you access to monthly returns can be considered as
earnings. Ladies must also gather all bills and other invoices which will prove
their necessary monthly expenses. This will be helpful in convincing a court
about the minimum support amount that they must receive. Bank statements, tax
returns, property ownership deeds, insurance policies or any documentary
evidence of your financial situation must be collected.

It is common for housewives to let their husbands manage
their bank accounts and other funds. However, when faced with the prospect of
separation they must move swiftly to assume control of their finances. This is
important as they will need to take care of significant expenses which they
will encounter while navigating through the legal process. They must get all
the necessary documents related to their personal bank accounts in their
possession. They must calculate all the savings they have made until now to get
an exact view of their present financial situation.

Ladies must also know what Florida laws say about alimony.
The spousal support amount depends on the duration of a marriage. Any marriage
that lasted for less than 7 years is considered as a short-term marriage. A
relationship that continued for less than 17 years is categorized as moderate-term.
Marriages going beyond 17 years as considered as long-term. There are different
kinds of alimonies in the state. Permanent alimony is usually awarded in long
and mid-term marriages. The court reviews a marriage to determine a reasonable
amount. Stay-at-home moms facing Florida
divorces can also ask for temporary alimony while the legal proceedings are
on. This support gets terminated automatically once the court passes a formal
divorce decree. There are also provisions for bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative,
and durational alimonies. You must contact a Fort Pierce divorce attorney to get a complete understanding of the
matter.

Another important aspect of legal separation is child
custody and support. It will be pertinent to know the state’s standpoint on
these vital issues. Florida has allowed two types of custody arrangements. In
sole parental responsibility, only one spouse gets the duty of keeping the
children. In shared parental responsibility arrangements, both parents share
the responsibility of bringing up their offsprings. Parents are legally bound
to pay the support amount fixed by a court. Spouses have to share the
responsibility of paying the medical expenses of their children. Parental income
and the number of overnights spent with one parent are key determining factors
of the support amount. In case, your child stays completely with you, then your
ex-husband has to pay the highest amount which a court will fix after studying
your case.

Florida follows the principle of equitable division while
dividing the assets between divorcing partners. Equitable generally means equal
but the definition of the term is usually left to the discretion of the court.
Remember that all non-marital assets owned by you are your exclusive property.
Any assets which you acquired before entering the present relationship or
acquired in your individual capacity after the marriage are considered as
non-marital property. The equitable distribution formula will be applied to
marital assets. Any property which the couple acquired after the marriage
whether jointly or independently will be considered as marital assets. For
example, you were gifted a car by your husband who purchased it with his
earnings. Now you cannot claim the car to be your exclusive property. It will
be treated as a marital asset and will be a part of the equitable division.

It is essential that you identify your priorities in the
settlement. Do you want to win custody of your child or securing a suitable
alimony amount is on top of your mind? List your preferences and then consult
an experienced attorney. It will be easy for the professional if you outline
your priorities right at the beginning. She can then create an effective
strategy to get a favorable settlement decision from the court.

It is necessary that stay-at-home
moms facing Florida divorces create a plan to successfully navigate the
procedure. They must get in touch with an experienced lawyer in Fort Pierce or any other Florida location to get valuable guidance.