How to File Dissolution of Marriage in Florida

Dissolving the Marriage

It should be noted that not all couples will agree the first time. In some cases they will disagree on certain points, and if that is the case, then a simply dissolution will no longer be an option. At this point there may be a hearing, but the judge will typically recommend that both parties go through counseling

The regular dissolution process begins with a petition for dissolution of marriage, filed with the circuit court by the husband or wife, which states that the marriage is irretrievably broken and sets out what the person wants from the court. The other partner must file an Answer within 20 days maximum, which includes the matters within the initial petition on which the parties agree or disagree as well as any issues the answering party wishes to raise.

Moving to Mediation

Assuming that both individuals agree on every single item, it would not be terrible unusual for the divorce to become finalized within a matter of weeks rather than a matter of years, as would almost be custom with the standard divorce proceedings. In other words, the dissolution is designed for those who simply want to get it over with and get on with their lives.

Moving into mediation is not a bad thing, and it is not intended to save the marriage. It is instead intended to help both individuals come to a conclusion as to which property should be split, and how everything should be shared. The idea of course is to lower the odds of an appeal after the fact, as unlike in a simple dissolution, an appeal will be allowed. Learn more about mediation for dissolution of marriage.

Finding a Qualified Divorce Mediator

Even thought the separation is supposed to be peaceful, there will be those who need a mediator. You may very well be among them, so make sure that you don't select the first divorce professional that you happen to come across. This would be a serious mistake, and with that being the case, make sure the divorce mediator in question actually has some experience with dissolution of marriage in Florida. The advantage of a mediator over an attorney is that a mediator acts as a neutral third-party and mediation avoids costly, stressful courtroom litigation that an attorney would typically be involved in.