Two broken wedding rings on divorce word in dictionary.
Divorce is difficult, but there are steps you can take to make it easier. Read on to learn how to have a peaceful divorce.

The divorce rate in the US is around 40% to 50% of all marriages. While you may have initially thought you found your soulmate, maybe things have changed. And despite trying to work out your differences, you’ve grown too far apart and divorce is the only logical next step.

Reaching this decision isn’t an easy one, especially if there are children involved. Your friends may have gone through messy divorces themselves, and you want to do everything you can to avoid the same fate.

If you’d like to have a peaceful divorce so you can move on with your life better, then read on. We’ve got some helpful tips on how to do so.

Don’t Place Blame on One Another

When things get bad, it can be easy to blame one another for the failure of your marriage. Maybe you think your wife hasn’t paid enough attention to you in the last few years, or maybe she thinks you’ve been too focused on growing your career.

At this point, it doesn’t do any good to point fingers at one another. Trying to pinpoint exactly what made the marriage fail will just make both of you extremely bitter, which will set the tone for a messy and ugly divorce.

Once you’ve reached a place where both of you agree 100% that you should divorce, that should be it. Don’t try to assign a reason to the divorce; just agree it’s better for the two of you if you go your separate ways.

If you leave blame out of it, then you’ll stand a much better chance of having an amicable and peaceful divorce.

Don’t Be Petty

Those who don’t feel slighted by their exes may be tempted to be petty in the divorce process. For example, maybe your ex really loves your shared car, and just to make her suffer, you want to take it in the divorce.

But by doing this, you’re just dragging out the divorce longer. Since it’s such a treasured possession of hers, she’ll most likely fight you on this, which can end up in more meetings with the lawyer and time in court.

Instead of trying to exact revenge, try and be the bigger person. This doesn’t necessarily mean you should acquiesce to everything your ex wants.

What you should do is sit down and think about the big picture. What is it you truly want and can’t compromise on? Once you figure that out, everything else will be trivial.

The two of you should come together and discuss these non-negotiable needs and see if you can work around them.

Be Honest and Open

While in the midst of a divorce, some people will try to hide their assets so they don’t get cleared out by their ex in the process. But by doing so, you may entangle yourself in much more legal messes.

We’re not saying you should be best friends with your ex while you’re getting divorced, but both of you should be able to discuss all your assets and income without hiding anything.

By doing so, you’ll be doing a “good faith negotiation” with your ex-spouse. When the two of you can openly discuss everything, this makes it a lot easier to resolve any financial issues. This is especially important if you have children with them.

If you weren’t the spouse that handled the financial side of things in the marriage, this can give you a better picture of what the two of you shared. That way, you can have better trust and keep the divorce more amicable.

Put the Needs of Your Children First

Again, while you’re separating from your spouse, it’s tempting to find any ammo against them and use it. Often, parents end up using their children as pawns in the game of divorce. While it may be temporarily satisfying, it ends up being harmful to everyone involved.

Make it clear to your ex that the welfare of your children come first. You may want to consider divorce mediation, as this lets you discuss your children’s needs with a neutral third party present.

Always use positive language when discussing issues involving your kids. Always ask for your ex’s input so they feel involved instead of pushed away by you.

How you work together during the divorce can be extremely beneficial for the future, as it lays down the groundwork for you working successfully as co-parents.

Have a Good Support System

Not only can going through a divorce on your own be lonely, but it can really take a toll on your mental health as well. If you aren’t feeling 100% emotionally, you may end up taking it out on your ex. Needless to say, that won’t end up in a peaceful divorce at all.

Make sure you have a good support system consisting of close friends and family members. When you’re alone, it can be tempting to self-medicate in unhealthy ways. The after-effects won’t be so pleasant, plus it can kickstart a downward spiral.

If you have friends and family you can rely on, you can turn to them in times of need instead of self-medicating. Sometimes, all it takes is calling someone up for a chat for you to feel better and stronger. This can leave you more clear and levelheaded to deal with your divorce.

Have a Peaceful Divorce and Get Along With Your Ex

Just because you’re going through a divorce doesn’t mean it can’t be amicable. With our guide to a peaceful divorce, hopefully, you can navigate this difficult time of your life with more ease and tranquility.

If you need a divorce lawyer to help you through this process, then get in touch with us today. Not only can we assist you with your divorce, but we can also advise you on other related subjects, such as alimony and child custody.

Scissors Cutting Through Marriage Certificate
Getting divorced is tough, but deciding how the money will work can be more difficult. Read on to learn about alimony in Florida.

Up to half of the couples in the United States end up getting divorced, and Florida has the 7th most noteworthy divorce rate.

Florida is one of the most stressed states, particularly about financial situations.

Whether it’s because of money or other factors, many cities in Florida have high divorce rates. In Live Oak, for example, the divorce rate is 23%.

Regardless of where you live, alimony is one of the fiercest divorce battles to face.

And alimony in Florida is particularly challenging to determine, mainly because there is no mathematical formula for doing so.

Getting divorced is hard enough as it is, but figuring out how the money will work between divorced couples can be even harder.

Keep reading to learn all about alimony in Florida.

What Is Alimony?

Alimony is also referred to as “spousal support.” Alimony is the legal obligation to provide financial support to a spouse after a divorce.

State divorce law varies, so alimony is issued by a divorce decree that works according to state divorce law.

Alimony is much different than child support, though people sometimes confuse the 2.

Alimony is considered taxable income to the receiving spouse. Plus, it’s deducted from the income of the spouse who is paying.

Child support payments, on the other hand, aren’t deductible to the paying spouse. They aren’t taxable to the receiving spouse either.

Child support is paid. There are no tax concerns that come into play, unlike alimony.

 

One important thing to remember about alimony in Florida is that there is no mathematical calculation for determining an amount. Child support payments, on the other hand, are determined based on the payee’s income.

There Are Different Type of Florida Alimony

Florida law has 5 different types of alimony.

A judge will award these 5 different types in whatever combination that seems fair under the particular circumstances of that divorce.

Alimony payments can consist of periodic payments from one spouse to another or a single lump-sum payment.

Spouses can agree on different terms and conditions of alimony on their own. A spouse can also opt to give up alimony entirely, which typically occurs in exchange for another valuable type of property.

What Are the Different Types of Alimony?

As we mentioned above, there are 5 different types of spousal support in Florida.

Bridge-the-Gap Alimony

Bridge-the-Gap alimony starts after the divorce is final, but it’s short term. The most it’ll go for is 2 years.

The purpose is to help the receiving spouse meet those temporary needs like living expenses while they wait for a home to sell or enter into an educational program to allow for better employment prospects.

Temporary Alimony

Temporary alimony only lasts the duration of the divorce. It’s awarded to a spouse who needs financial support during the divorce process.

As soon as the divorce is final, temporary alimony ends.

Rehabilitative Alimony

Rehabilitative alimony exists to assist the receiving spouse in acquiring training or education that’s necessary for appropriate employment.

A spouse who requests rehabilitative alimony must submit a plan that outlines the amount of money and time they need to complete their program.

Durational Alimony

A court could award durational alimony if other types are insufficient to support a spouse’s needs.

The maximum term of durational alimony pertains to the length of the divorced couple’s marriage.

If you were married for 20 years, for example, you won’t be able to receive alimony for any longer.

Permanent Alimony

When the recipient spouse’s economic needs are forecasted to be permanent, an alimony award will be permanent too.

A judge who awards permanent alimony always has to state the reasons why another form of alimony wouldn’t be fair or reasonable under the facts of the particular case.

Permanent alimony exists to provide support to a spouse who can’t be self-supporting at a standard of living that’s as close as possible to the marital standard that was set before.

What Factors Will a Judge Consider?

Every court makes decisions on requests for alimony based on many different facts of the case.

They must determine whether or not the spouse who’s requesting alimony meets the standard to prove the alimony is necessary.

The court also has to determine whether or not the wealthier spouse has the ability to pay. But, only exceptional circumstances would cause a court to award alimony if it leaves the paying spouse with significantly less income than the recipient.

When a judge finds that there is both a need and an ability to pay, they consider all relevant factors in deciding which alimony to award.

These factors include things like:

  • All sources of income
  • Time and expense required for education and training
  • The marital standard of living
  • The duration of the marriage
  • The financial resources of the spouse who’s seeking maintenance
  • Each spouse’s contribution to the marriage
  • Any tax consequences of a potential alimony award
  • The responsibilities each party will have for children under 18 that they have in common

If adultery occurred and it caused financial harm to either spouse, that will also be taken into account.

Alimony in Florida Works Best with Representation

Divorces are tough, no matter the circumstances. The best thing you can do if you’re going through a divorce is to hire a professional who specializes in family law.

Alimony in Florida is more complicated than in other states because there is no set formula or means for calculating what it is.

Plus, there are so many factors to consider and lots of paperwork to submit.

If you’re going through a divorce, contact us so that we can help you through the process and get you the fair results that you deserve.