In Florida the divorce rules are part of family law. Florida family law is complex and you will need the services of a Clearwater divorce lawyer to help you navigate the complex rules of divorce if you are located in Tampa Bay or Pinellas County. Divorce can be emotionally straining. Receiving the right kind of assistance is very important if you are fighting a divorce.
It’s not a simple task to hire a seasoned divorce attorney. There are many lawyers in Tampa, Florida area. Your relationship with the attorney is vital. It is not sufficient to hire the first divorce attorney you come across. You will need a divorce attorney who is sympathetic to your case and understand your side of the case. A Clearwater divorce lawyer is what you require.
Finding the Right Attorney
Referrals are the best way to hire attorneys. Talk to someone you know has just been through a divorce. Ask him or her about the divorce attorney who handled his or her case. Contact that divorce attorney if he or she had a good experience with his or her divorce attorney. But use referrals only as a starting point. Never hire the first divorce attorney you come across. There are other ways of locating a divorce attorney. Generally the yellow pages will contain many attorneys listing. Your local yellow pages will contain some listings by divorce attorneys. Note down the names and contact details of the one you feel are most suited to represent you. Your local bar association is yet another source for finding a divorce attorney. Contact your local bar association and ask them for the list of their member attorneys who specialize in handling divorce cases. You can also find divorce attorneys from media and television advertisements. The print media, television and radio generally contain advertisements by divorce attorneys. The advertisements will display the name of the divorce attorney and his or her contact details. After short listing a few divorce attorneys, you must do a background check on them. Check if there are any disciplinary cases or proceedings filed or pending against them with the local bar association. If they are clear on this front, you should contact each of them and ask for an appointment. When you meet the divorce attorney, you should judge if you will be comfortable working within him or her. Ask for his or her fees if you feel comfortable working with him or her. Finally it is important that the attorney you choose is properly qualified. A Clearwater FL divorce lawyer has a J.D degree from an American Bar Association recognized law school and is licensed to practice law in Florida.
Fees
A Clearwater divorce lawyer may quote a fixed fee in some cases but will generally charge you on a hourly basis. But due to the complex nature of divorce cases it is generally not possible to put a cap on the Clearwater divorce lawyer’s fees especially in a contested divorce. The Clearwater divorce lawyer’s fees will depend on the number of hearings and the applications that are filed by your spouse. The divorce attorney will not accept your case on contingency basis.
An uncontested divorce is the least expensive kind of divorce you can get. In an uncontested divorce, both spouses work together to agree on the terms of the divorce, and file court papers cooperatively to make the divorce happen. You file court forms and a “marital settlement agreement”. A “marital settlement agreement” is an agreement that details the agreements the spouses have made about how they want to divide their property and debts, what the custody arrangements for their children will be, and whether support payments will change hands. The settlement, and the final divorce, will have to be approved by a judge, which shouldn’t be any problem. The judge will usually approve a settlement agreement unless it’s clear that the terms are completely unfair to one person or were arranged when one person was under duress. A contested divorce is one where the spouses argue so much over property or child custody that they can’t come to an agreement, and instead take these issues to the judge to decide. The judge and court clerks will be the main players in a contested divorce case. Most divorce trials are not long, drawn-out affairs like trials you may have seen on television. Many take a day or two, or even just a morning. A divorce trial is generally short. The entire process however is long and hard. It can be costly. A contested divorce, even one that ends in a settlement rather than a trial, can cost each spouse many tens of thousands of dollars. A Clearwater FL divorce lawyer can assist you with uncontested and contested divorce proceedings.
At The Coleman Law Group, we believe that caring and aggressive representation can make all the difference in how quickly and successfully you weather the stormy seas of a divorce. Let us put our thoughtful, caring approach to work for you today. Every moment you delay can have unforeseen consequences. Phone 727-214-0400 and talk to one of us today.
