Fort Myers Family Law Blog

Many marriages fail because there is a lack of trust between the parties. If you're getting a divorce, you may want to avoid litigation and hope that mediation will help. Keep in mind that trust, the thing your marriage may have lacked, is necessary for mediation to work.

It's not romantic trust that you have to worry about, but instead, a person's ability not to lie about assets or belongings. Mediators specifically work to gain both parties' trust to make sure they'll be as honest as possible without fearing repercussions, but if one party doesn't believe the other, then there is almost nothing that can be gained from mediation.

You're getting divorced and you blame your spouse for the breakdown of the marriage. You're angry. You decide to take it out on them in court. You are fairly wealthy, after all, so you figure you have the resources to make life miserable for your ex.

While this mindset may be common, it is not productive. Experts warn that you're never going to get back at your ex or teach them a lesson. Letting anger -- or any emotion -- guide your decisions is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

After your divorce, you decide to stop renting and buy a house. You and your ex sold your house during the divorce, and you spent a year just renting an apartment while you got everything in order.

Your ex was ordered to pay you alimony every month. It supplements the income you get from your part-time job. Can you count this money as income when you go to the bank to apply for a mortgage loan? You know that you can afford a much nicer house if the alimony counts along with your paychecks.

Like most people going through a divorce, this may be your first experience with the process, at least first hand. You may have stood by friends or family as they struggled through their divorces, but now you are on the inside, and it feels much different. First of all, you are emotionally invested, and you are likely feeling levels of confusion and anxiety you have never felt before.

However, their own inexperience and emotion are only two of the reasons why many in Florida seek the counsel of an attorney, even if they are expecting a relatively simple divorce. If you have children, complex assets such as a business, joint property and debts, you may not realize how complicated things can get. An attorney can advise you of your rights and work to ensure their protection.