You’ve been thinking about getting a divorce, but you want to know that you have everything prepared before you talk to your spouse. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to prepare in advance.

The following are five things you can do to have a smooth divorce in Florida. You also can reach out to your divorce attorney first to discuss options pertaining to your divorce if you’re not sure where to start.

  1. Get copies of your documents
    The first step is to start copying financial documents. Get copies of credit reports, credit card statements, bank statements and other financial documents. Why do this first? If you don’t, it could be hard to get them later. Your spouse might be angry and change passwords or lock you out of accounts, so getting these documents ahead of time is a good idea.
  2. Talk to your attorney
    Once you have the documents you need for your divorce settlement, it’s time to reach out to your attorney. Your attorney will talk to you about what you have and make sure you’re not missing any further documents that could help your case. If you are missing anything, you can get guidance and a printout of the documents needed from your attorney. Your attorney also will help you start building your divorce case while you gather the documents you need.
  3. Approach your spouse
    Once you and your attorney are satisfied with the preparation you’ve done for divorce, you can approach your spouse with the divorce documents. You can have them delivered by certified mail or sit down and talk with your spouse directly. How you approach the divorce depends on many factors, but it’s best to be civil. If you are concerned about your spouse getting violent, ask your attorney about ways to protect yourself.
  4. Negotiate
    After your spouse knows you want to get a divorce, you can start negotiating your divorce settlement. Florida law requires the parties to equitably distribute the assets and liabilities of the parties, so you should both sit down together, if possible, or with your attorneys to determine the best way to divide the assets and liabilities.
  5. Mediate or settle
    Finally, you need to settle your divorce case and all factors that play a role in it, from child custody to your property division settlement. All Florida divorce actions are required to mediate prior to trial. Upon attending mediation, if you both agree, you can settle with your attorneys drawing up a settlement agreement. If you do not settle, and mediation is not successful, then you’ll go on to a divorce trial.

Your attorney will guide you through the process of divorce. It can be a long process, but with help from a qualified divorce attorney, it can be simple and easy to understand what you need to do.

If you have any questions or need assistance with your divorce in Florida, please contact us today or call 1-833-HIRE-RTR (1-833-447-3787).