Emotions can run high during a divorce. If you and your spouse are unable to work out your differences amicably, you will likely face a more complicated and contested divorce. During this type of action, the parties go through the court to go back to the legal status of single. Depending on how contentious you and your spouse’s relationship is, it may be a lengthy process. It’s essential to take time now and become familiar with the common issues in a contested divorce.
Money
Depending on the length of the marriage, a couple may have amassed a significant amount of money. These financial matters may be in the form of cash, property, investment accounts and retirement plans. Wherever it is, a contested divorce Tampa usually revolves around dividing up these assets fairly. Remember that along with splitting assets, you have to be prepared to divide all debt amassed during the marriage. Equitable division states do not require couples to split finances equally.
Children
Aside from dealing with financial issues, couples embroiled in a divorce often have to address their children. There are three significant subtexts within this major element of divorce:
- Custody
- Child support
- Timesharing
Unless there are legal grounds why one parent should not have custody, many courts prefer awarding joint legal custody. This gives each parent an equal say in major decisions, such as school, medical care and where the children live. Child support is the financial calculation of how much one parent may have to pay to the other in the instances of less physical time or an inequitable salary. The last issue is hashing out an agreement on a schedule for the children, detailing which parent they will be with during the school year, weekends, holidays and summer breaks. Even if there is joint legal custody, it does not mean timesharing will be equally split.
Preparing yourself for dealing with these common issues during divorce will aid in your movement through the process.