Did you know that Florida offers a type of divorce that is relatively quick and painless? This type of divorce does away with most of the mandatory financial disclosure requirements of other types of divorce, and you may be able to schedule a final hearing within a month of filing your paperwork.
What I am describing is known in Florida as a “simplified dissolution of marriage.”
Generally, a simplified dissolution of marriage is ideal for cases where there is a short-term marriage, no children, few (if any) shared assets, and you and your spouse are on good speaking terms.
Keep in mind that Florida does not allow everyone to go through the simplified process. You can only file for a simplified dissolution of marriage if all of the following statements are true:
- You and your spouse have not had children together, either by birth or adoption;
- The wife is not pregnant;
- Either you or your spouse (or both) have resided in Florida for at least six months prior to filing for divorce;
- You and your spouse are unable to repair your marriage;
- Neither you or your spouse are seeking alimony;
- Both you and your spouse are prepared to voluntarily exchange financial affidavits;
- You and your spouse are prepared to agree on how to divide your assets and liabilities in a marital settlement agreement;
- You and your spouse are willing to waive your right to trial and appeal; and
- You and your spouse are willing and able to appear together at a final hearing.
If you and your spouse do not qualify for a simplified dissolution of marriage, you may be a perfect candidate for a
collaborative divorce or an uncontested divorce.
Additionally, if you and your spouse have attempted to file for a simplified dissolution of marriage on your own, and you have run into some unexpected roadblocks, a Florida family law attorney can assist you in clearing the path and bringing your case to completion.
About Adam B. Cordover, Attorney-at-Law
Family Diplomacy is dedicated to helping clients restructure their families privately and respectfully. We practice exclusively in out-of-court dispute resolution, with a focus on collaborative divorce and family law, mediation, direct negotiations, and unbundled legal services.
We maintain this out-of-court practice because we strongly believe that family disputes should be resolved in a private conference room, not in a hostile and public courtroom environment. This unique perspective on family law stems back to Adam B. Cordover’s experience studying International Affairs in Washington, D.C., and abroad. Adam had the rare opportunity to work closely with ambassadors and diplomats from war-torn regions around the world. He traveled around the globe, learning from diplomatic leaders as they applied dispute resolution techniques to tackle seemingly impossible conflicts. It dawned on him: If these techniques can work in the complex world of International Relations, why not Domestic Relations and Family Law?
This realization lead Adam to create an exclusively out-of-court practice and to bring a more peacemaking approach to family law. In his previous role as a litigation attorney, Adam witnessed parties experience the negative emotional and financial effects that long, drawn out divorce battles can have on families. As a result, Adam has become a strong proponent of the Collaborative Process, where a structure is put in place so that life’s hardest moments do not have to be any more difficult than necessary.
A thought leader in the international collaborative law community, Adam successfully spearheaded an effort of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit to draft an administrative order safeguarding the principles of collaborative family law (just the fourth such administrative order in Florida). Adam has been featured in or interviewed about collaborative practice by the Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, Miami Herald, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Florida Bar News, NBC, Fox 13, Bay News 9, ABC Action News, The World of Collaborative Practice Magazine, and Spirit FM 90.5. Adam regularly speaks at professional and civic organizations locally and internationally regarding the collaborative process.
Adam B. Cordover is president of Next Generation Divorce, a 501(c)(3) and Florida’s largest interdisciplinary collaborative practice group with member attorneys, mental health professionals, and financial professionals throughout Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Sarasota, and Manatee Counties. Adam is also on the Executive Board and co-chair of the Research Committee of the Collaborative Family Law Council of Florida. Further, Adam is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Leadership Academy of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals.
You can learn more about us and our services at www.FamilyDiplomacy.com.
Attorney Adam B. Cordover is admitted to the Florida Bar and the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. His office is located at 412 East Madison Street, Suite 824, Tampa, Florida 33602.
ABC Family Law Blog 
No doubt, collaborative divorce is the best dissolution of marriage in which both the partners is settle down by yourselves with the help of divorce lawyer.
Agreed. If only more people had the ability to proceed with these conditions.
True collaborative divorce can be the best option for divorce.