Kevin Legal Advice

In family law circles, the old joke that it’s cheaper to keep your spouse than to divorce him or her still makes the rounds. It applies as much to the amount you will spend in lawyer’s fees for a divorce as to how much of “your” assets will be shared with your soon-to-be “Ex.”

Although most divorces will not be like The Donald and Ivana Trump divorce, the reality is that even a “simple” divorce can cost you quite a penny unless you’re willing to put some effort and use resources which courts have in place to help those who want to represent themselves–known as pro se parties. Just about every state has forms available to help you get your divorce without having to hire a lawyer. Florida is no exception, and the Florida Supreme Court has provided forms for use in family cases, including divorce. They have tried to be as straight forward as possible without using “legalese.” Still, many people find them cumbersome and extremely time-consuming. Although the forms can be downloaded for free from flcourts.org, many Florida courts charge for these forms, sometimes as much as $50.00–not exactly an exorbitant fee were it not for the fee paid to the same court for filing a divorce in Florida, currently $364.00; and you still have to pay the sheriff’s fee for serving the spouse!. To make matters worse, some internet sites offer the same exact forms for around $7.00.The end result is that the very people who are meant to be helped by the forms are usually driven to hire a lawyer, if only to save themselves time and aggravation in completing the forms.All the things you would hire a lawyer for to assist you in your divorce case can be done by you, even the mediation part. Mediation is an alternative to a trial, and whether you have a lawyer or not, you will be required to go to mediation prior to a trial if you and your spouse do not agree on any issue—you don’t have to agree, but you do have to attend a mediation session. Like the rest of the nation, Florida courts have mediation units for use by all parties, represented or not.

But there’s more to divorce than just forms. 

(c) Vivian Rodriguez

Everyone has horror stories about the Vallejo divorce process. People say that it takes years. People talk about spending huge and unexpected amounts of money on Vallejo family law firms. You hear about many instances where the divorce has harmed relationships with children, family, and friends. Many find that child support payments cause them to live as frugally as students until their children’s emancipation. Post-divorce problems can linger for years, even for a lifetime.

In a mediated divorce, the two divorcing parties meet with one mediator (usually, but not necessarily a service offered by Vallejo family law firms). You meet with a Vallejo family law firm a number of times. The Vallejo family law firm will to address and try to resolve the issues in your divorce. Vallejo family law firms hired in this capacity do not represent either of the parties. The Vallejo family law firms must be (and must be viewed by the parties as) an impartial, objective, fair third-party.

A mediated divorce (using advocate lawyers at relevant points) is the Camry of divorces. It’s solid, safe for the most part, and it can do almost everything you want. But the collaborative divorce is like a Prius. It has the most advanced resources at its disposal. It’s groundbreaking, and it can turn a sometimes dirty process into something that is a lot better for the environment.

The premise of collaborative divorce is to resolve the divorce though a series of meetings between the clients and their respective Vallejo family law firms. These four-way meetings, are actually what the courts require litigants to do prior to the trial in a litigated divorce.

So.., the main difference is that instead of you, your spouse and a Vallejo family law firm, you have you, your spouse and two Vallejo family law firms – one for each of you. The benefits of collaborative law are great. Better, more workable, and longer-lasting solutions are generated. Relationships with family are preserved. It is generally not more expensive than mediated divorces (with the advocate attorneys’ critical involvement.) It is generally much less expensive than litigated divorces.

I hope your brain isn’t spinning too much at this point. But here’s it in a nutshell, you can

– mediate

– have a collaborative divorce

– create a separation agreement.

– duke it our in court.

The first three are usually the best.

Before filing your dissolution, contact multiple Vallejo family law firms – or better yet, fill in our contact form and let us give you a list of the best Vallejo family law firms for your particular case. Divorce is quite emotional but, the court sees it strictly as a legal matter. The law is designed to be fair, and that’s all Vallejo family law firms are trying to do. Help you create a fair settlement.

It might be worthwhile to consult with our Vallejo family law firms. Fill out our contact form and let us help you.