Fort Lauderdale Legal Separation

A legal separation is an option for couples who seek to terminate only certain legal connections of their marriage instead of an outright divorce. Legally separated couples have the advantage of sharing certain legal and financial matters, which they can’t do in a divorce. Unfortunately, Florida law doesn’t recognize legal separation yet. The alternative is to enforce a series of legal actions that essentially works like a legal separation order.

With all the paperwork and institutions you will have to encounter, it will be wise to get a knowledgeable and trusted attorney to represent you in your Fort Lauderdale, FL legal separation case. Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys is ready to provide you with a seasoned and capable legal team that can passionately work for your interests.

Getting a quasi-legal separation can be a tricky legal challenge. But our expert attorneys at Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys specialize in marriage and divorce law and are deeply knowledgeable about laws related to spousal separation outside the confines of divorce laws. We are here to inform you about everything you need to know about marriage laws so you’ll know which steps you can take.

Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys is here to handle all your paperwork, negotiate with the other party, and protect your rights and interests. Call us today so we can work on your Fort Lauderdale legal separation aims as soon as possible.

Call Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys at (954) 371-2993 for your Free Consultation!

Overview

The only difference between a divorce and a legal separation is the termination of the marriage. The couple will stay legally married in a legal separation, but there will be orders for relevant separation matters such as alimony and child custody.

Some of the reasons why people opt for legal separation instead of a divorce are the restrictions of their religious beliefs, qualification for social security benefits, or insurance or tax purposes. On the other hand, there are some couples who choose legal separation so they will have time to rethink their marriage without making an impulsive decision to divorce immediately.

Even though Florida law doesn’t have provisions on formal legal separation, there are still legal actions you can take to emulate an official legal separation system. In fact, the law does not hinder any married couple’s decision to physically and financially separate. You can do this by:

1. Having separate residences
2. Dividing marital assets and properties
3. Discontinuing joint bank accounts

You can also make a child-care arrangement without official legal orders. For example, you and your spouse can agree that one of you will live with the children while the other can just visit on specific days. Just remember that your marriage remains legally intact even if you make these decisions.

Reasons for Choosing Legal Separation Over Divorce

If you’re still looking for reasons why a legal separation can be better than divorce at the moment, here are a few common reasons why people choose the former.

1. Time to meditate between resolving or ending the marriage
2. Religious beliefs
3. Military benefits that can be awarded for marriages that last up to ten years
4. Tax benefits
5. Eligibility for healthcare coverage from your spouse’s plan
6. Eligibility to maintain your immigration status
7. Increase of social security benefits after ten years of marriage

Substitutes for Legal Separation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Since there are no laws that cover getting a legal separation arrangement in Florida, you can just accomplish certain legal actions that resemble the provisions of a regular legal separation. Just take note that each of these actions has its advantages, disadvantages, and limits.

Separation agreements. A separation agreement addresses relevant legal matters of a marriage, including child custody, time-sharing, asset and property division, and many more. The agreement is drafted and formalized with each spouse’s attorney present.

Petition for support. This involves filing for a petition that asks for financial support from your spouse without having a divorce. This option addresses child support and spousal support, but it doesn’t cover matters of child custody nor time-sharing.

Your spouse can disagree with the petition by filing a counter-petition that you must answer within 20 days. Otherwise, if both parties agree, the finalization of the details will be done at a scheduled hearing. If there’s no agreement, a hearing will be scheduled to further negotiate the petition.

Postnuptial agreements. A postnuptial agreement is a contract that people in Florida use for legal separation. It can be filed at any time during the marriage.

It details the terms when a couple gets divorced, such as:

1. Alimony
2. Child support
3. Asset division
4. The gives and receives support payments
5. Method of support payments
6. Who gets to keep the marital residence
7. The primary residence of the children
8. Visitation rights and time-sharing
9. What classifies as a breach of agreement
10. Consequences if a party breaches the agreement

Compared to regular separation agreements, one of the benefits of a postnuptial agreement is that violations can be taken to court. If your spouse breaches a provision in the agreement, you can go to court and have the terms of contract violation enforced. Postnuptial agreements can also cover much wider coverage of marital matters compared to petitions.

Best Legal Separation Attorneys in Fort Lauderdale, Florida

You don’t have to face the heavy burden of a tough marriage. Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys offers the best Fort Lauderdale legal separation lawyers to help you with all the legal obstacles you have to deal with.

We are here to help you understand every legal detail you need to know if you want to have a working separation from your spouse without having a divorce. Tell us all your questions and concerns, and we’ll be ready to address them. You can trust that our lawyers have all the necessary training, knowledge, and competency to bring all these legal services to you effectively.

With our years of experience providing excellent services to various clients in Florida, we know we have what it takes to provide everything you need to have an air-tight quasi-legal separation set up.

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Let’s Talk – Dedicated Family Law Firm

Are you interested in our services? Begin the process of building your Fort Lauderdale legal separation today by discussing all your needs and goals with one of our top-notch attorneys at Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys.

Call Ft Lauderdale Divorce Attorneys at (954) 371-2993 for your Free Consultation!