How to Get a Florida Divorce with our Attorney
If you’re reading this article, sorry. Why? Because it means your marriage is ending which is usually not a happy thing; however, sometimes it is and Steven D. Miller, P.A. has hundreds of clients who jumped for joy when their Florida marriage was terminated. A majority of marriages end in divorce for various reasons that are best left for another discussion. The purpose of this post is to let you know how to get a Florida divorce when it’s time. You’ve got a few options.
Florida Divorce Options
The cheapest way is to do it yourself (“DIY”). If you’ve got no children, you’re not fighting about how to divide property and debt and your spouse is willing to sign all the necessary papers getting a divorce is not too complicated. Get the necessary papers; fill them out; file them at the local courthouse; set a final hearing; prepare the necessary closing documents; go to the final hearing; wait until they call your case; sit with the judge for 5 minutes; answer a bunch of questions; wait for the clerk to make copies of the final judgment; pay a lot of money for parking; lose a half day of work; go home; have a drink and you will be divorced in Florida. Not too complicated, just a pain in the ass.
If you make the decision to do a DIY Florida divorce, you can (1) purchase a package of documents from the clerk of court – usually about $35.00 (2) go online and hire a document company to prepare the documents – usually about $199.00 or (3) have a lawyer prepare them for you and DIY. Assuming the papers are prepared properly – not likely in the 1st 2 options, you are still on your own. You may get it done and if you do, congratulations. Chances are something will go wrong; a piece of paper will be missing, not executed properly; you will be assigned to the pro se’ division (a special judge for those who DIY); or you simply didn’t dot all the “I’s” or cross all your “T’s.” If so, the Florida divorce will take a couple of months and lots of aggravation but hey, you did it on your own and you should feel good about yourself – probably not!
A Cheap Divorce May Not Be The Best Option
In my opinion, the best way to get a Florida divorce is to hire a divorce lawyer. I prefer that you hire my Florida law firm but that’s up to you. A competent Florida divorce or family lawyer should be able to get you divorced in about 30 – 45 days from the time the case is filed with the clerk (all cases are e-filed IF you are a member of our club – the Florida Bar) if all issues are resolved and both parties sign all required documents – it’s not rocket science folks. Like everything else in life, some lawyers are more diligent and cost effective than others. Some charge for every call, letter, email or thought. Do your homework and make an informed decision. You’ll sleep better knowing your legal work was handled by a divorce lawyer. Steven D. Miller, P.A. can help you with an online divorce to make it as convenient as possible.
“ When it’s time to leave . . .Call Steve.” It’s a smart, smart thing to do.