Many people are unsure if, or when, they should seek the advice of an attorney for Divorce. If you have a marriage of more than ten years, have children, own a home, have issues regarding spousal and/or child support, then you should seek the advice of a trained and experienced attorney.

Our education, training and experience allow us to advise our clients of their rights and also strategies and techniques to try and obtain their goals. Having an attorney will reduce the stress and tension of going through a divorce. Below is some general information regarding a divorce.

In general, Divorce is a very complicated area. Many people, understandably, look at going through a divorce as an emotional investment; however, it will make it easier to settle if it is looked at as a business decision. There are no “winners” in a divorce and only degrees of losing.

Each county in North Central Florida has it’s own courthouse with its own Family law Judges. All cases are filed in Circuit court. This means that one Judge will hear the case from the beginning to the end. The assignments of the Judges are chosen at random by the Clerk’s Office. There is a Clerk’s Office in each courthouse for filing pleadings. Normally, because of our unified Family court system, if a Domestic Violence Injunction is filed, the same Judge that hears that matter will also hear the other family law matters.

Divorce and family law is a very complicated area. There are two ways in which representation for court can occur: in pro se or with an attorney. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Representing yourself as your own attorney is not advisable. As the old saying goes for attorneys “any attorney who represents themself has a fool for a client” and this is a true statement. This has the advantage of no legal fees however there is also no advice nor counsel. An attorney can counsel, advice, represent and discuss strategies and techniques based upon education, training and experience to try and protect client’s rights and obtain their legal goals. The disadvantage of hiring and the cost of an attorney is far outweighed by the benefits in most cases.