Child Custody Hearings: Coming Out Whole

Divorce can be acrimonious and it can get especially difficult with custody hearings. Of course, there are ways to improve your chances of getting custody. If you will be entering a child custody hearing in the near future, you would want to keep the following tips in mind:

Buy into the Idea of Co-Parenting

Florida family lawmakers believe in the idea of co-parenting, an idea that both parents should be present in a child’s life and responsible for his or her upbringing and development. Florida judges understand this well and will favor an outcome that allows both parents to play an active role in the life of their children. If you are able to show that you are more than willing to let your spouse play an important role in the life of your child, you are more likely to win custody.

Divorce Tips: Sorting Your Finances

Divorces can be an emotional rollercoaster, and that’s putting it lightly. What most people do not immediately understand, however, is that divorces can significantly strain a person’s financial situation.

Apart from the legal fees involved, many people are surprised by the overall financial implications of a divorce. Save yourself the headache of having to deal with both divorce proceedings and sorting your finances by following these quick tips:

Don’t Hide Assets

It’s tempting to hide assets, especially if you and your spouse cannot agree on how to divide property. Resist that temptation. Hiding assets or “selling” them to someone with a plan to “buy” it back after the divorce is finalized is illegal.

Seeing Eye to Eye on Child Custody

When a married couple files for divorce, it is not only the division of their assets that often becomes an issue, but the custody of their children as well. In fact, it is common for children to get caught in the crossfire of divorce. If you and your spouse can’t agree on parenting arrangements, you can seek help from the courts for mediation, in which case you need to consult with an Orlando family law attorney to guide you through this complex process.

Surviving a Four-Way Meeting

Four-way meetings are an essential component of a successful collaborative divorce, though many couples dread it more than facing the judge. After all, four-way meetings require both parties to talk about personal issues. For someone who has faced threats, harassment, or violence from the opposing side, the meeting can be downright scary.

To help you survive a four-way meeting, here’s what you need to do.

Prepare

Communicate with your attorney prior to the meeting. This will give him time to provide clarification, validation, and even protection if necessary. Doing so will also help you develop an agenda to ensure your time is being used effectively and your goals and concerns are being addressed.