Amicable divorce in Florida? It may sound like an oxymoron, but it is actually a concept that more and more Florida divorce couples are embracing and reaping the benefits from. Take these tips from an experienced West Palm Beach Marital and Family Law Firm.
Essentially, an amicable divorce is one conducted in a civil non-adversarial fashion, in which both spouses agree to the terms and conditions or property division, spousal and child support, timesharing (visitation) and parental rights. The couple must be able to work together towards mutually agreeable resolutions and be able to compromise. In these situations, spouses can reach a decision as to the terms of the divorce without going to trial.
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The advantages of amicable Florida divorce are numerous and include, but are not limited to:
- Less stress for both parties
- Less expense due to fewer legal fees
- Reduced hostility towards one another
- An ability for couples to resume their life more quickly
So how do couples achieve an amicable divorce? It’s not always easy, but focusing on the below steps may help you on your way:
- Remain focused on your children. By continuing to remind yourself that your goal is ultimately the happiness of your children, then you may be able to avoid getting bogged down by the hostility or emotional tension between you. And by taking away the adversarial perspective (there’s one winner and one loser), you can work together to structure the best solutions when it comes to parental responsibility, timesharing (visitation), etc.
- Think about the new life you’re creating rather than the one you’re leaving behind. Doing that will enable you to more easily and equitably start dividing assets. You will lose the emotional ties and not let memories dictate what actions you take.
- Understand that amicable does not mean that you have to be friends or get along all the time. There’s a reason you’re getting divorced. Accept that there is going to be some tension and that you are not necessarily going to be friends at the end of the process. You are, however, allies in this initiative.
- Don’t keep score. Again, the idea is to work cooperatively together. That’s difficult to do if one of you is keeping a tally of who they believe is better or winning.
- Keep looking forward. Don’t get bogged down in rehashing past disputes and issues. Keep focused on finding creative solutions, which meet the needs and best interest of your children and of each other.
- Consider using a mediator. A mediator is a neutral and does not represent either party. The mediator cannot give advice to either party. Instead, he or she attempts to assist the couple to work through their divorce legal issues (such as distribution of property, child timesharing (visitation), child support, retirement and taxes) in order to find a way to end their marriage as amicably and cost effectively as possible.
- Consider Using Collaborative Divorce. If you are facing issues which may not be resolved by mediation, than consider collaborative divorce. Collaborative divorce is a confidential non-adversarial process which uses a team approach to create a non-adversarial resolution to your divorce. To learn more about collaborative divorce, click here.
Amicable divorce in Florida is possible if you are both committed to the process and remain focused on the overall goal. For many couples, the end result far exceeds the effort required.
