Am I Eligible for a Simplified Divorce?

If you or your spouse are considering splitting up, you may know from friends or family members that going through a divorce can be an emotionally exhausting process, not to mention an expensive one for many families. You may be wondering if there is a way to make your divorce easier and simplified, especially if you do not have children from your marriage or you have only been married for a short time. In doing research, you may come across references to a “simplified divorce” or “simplified dissolution of marriage” under Florida law.

You should know that this type of divorce has very specific requirements, and many Florida residents are not actually eligible for this type of divorce. Yet even if you are not eligible for a simplified dissolution of marriage, there may be other ways to simplify and streamline your divorce. Our divorce attorney in Tampa can explain in more detail.

What is a Simplified Dissolution of Marriage?

A simplified dissolution of marriage is a very specific type of divorce that has particular requirements. Those include the following:

• One of the spouses must have lived in Florida for at least 6 months before filing;
• Both spouses must agree that the marriage cannot be saved;
• There are no minor children from the marriage, and neither spouse is pregnant;
• Spouses have reached an agreement about how all assets and liabilities will be divided between them;
• Neither party is seeking alimony or support;
• Both spouses give up a right to trial and appeal;
• Both spouses have signed the petition; and
• Both spouses will attend the final hearing.

Ways to Simplify and Streamline Your Divorce Outside the Specific Simplified Dissolution of Marriage

Just because you are not eligible for a simplified dissolution of marriage under Florida law does not mean that there are no ways to simplify and streamline your divorce process. In fact, by taking steps to have an uncontested divorce — outside the specific procedure for a simplified dissolution of marriage — you can have a relatively quick and painless divorce case.

What is an uncontested divorce? In short, this is a type of divorce in which the spouses have reached an agreement about all aspects of the divorce: how marital property will be distributed between them, whether or not (and how) spousal maintenance will apply, and how the parties will share parental responsibilities and have time-sharing if they have minor children from their marriage. Even if you are not currently in agreement with your spouse about all of these matters, you can go through mediation to reach an agreement on all matters before the court finalizes your divorce. Having an uncontested divorce can make the process go much faster since there will not be issues to litigate in court, and less expensive for the same reason. In addition, when spouses are able to reach an agreement on all matters themselves, the divorce process is usually much less taxing emotionally, too.

Contact a Tampa Divorce Attorney for Assistance with Your Case 

Do you have questions about simplifying your divorce process? An experienced Tampa divorce lawyer at The Law Office of Laura A. Olson, P.A. can help. Contact our firm today.

Source:

flcourts.gov/Services/Family-Courts/domestic-relations-court-resources/family-law-forms/Petition-for-Dissolution-of-Marriage-12.901-Forms-A-B3/Petition-for-Simplified-Dissolution-of-Marriage