Conventional Divorce
Liliana helps clients navigate through the divorce process, bridging communication so that her client gets through the legal and emotional process as effectively, efficiently, and as fairly as possible.
Conventional Divorce – Frequently Asked Questions
Liliana L. Guarino, P.A. represents only one spouse. The other spouse is not a client of the firm, and the firm cannot provide legal advice to the other spouse. The other spouse may consult with an independent attorney before signing any document.
Yes, we do. We have partnered with Affirm, which offers flexible payment options that allow customers to pay over time, giving them control, convenience, and increased purchasing power. Learn more about Affirm.
No. The flat-fee service is limited to cases in which there are no assets or debts requiring identification, valuation, transfer, or division. A divorce involving property, financial accounts, retirement benefits, real estate, business interests, loans, credit-card obligations, tax liabilities, or other assets or debts requiring division would need to be evaluated separately.
There are several options. A settlement agreement can be reached through negotiations between the attorneys, or your attorneys may consider it necessary to go to mediation. There is also the collaborative process where spouses and their lawyers with special training in collaborative law commit to settle all their differences out of Court. It is best to consult with an attorney to decide which option is the best for you.
Generally, each spouse pays the initial retainer to his or her own lawyer. If you are the spouse in need of financial help, your attorney can request temporary support for you and also attorney’s fees to help cover the costs of your representation. Same as alimony, awards of temporary attorney’s fees are based on your need and your spouse’s ability to pay.
It depends. Alimony is based on your need and your spouse’s ability to pay. We do not have “alimony guidelines” in Florida, that is why it is so important to have competent attorneys representing you. There are several factors that the Court will consider when granting alimony, such as the length of the marriage.
The new language for “full custody” is “sole parental responsibility.” Most parents in Florida have shared parental responsibility. In order to obtain sole parental responsibility, you will have to prove to the Court that shared parental responsibility is detrimental to your child(ren).
Yes. The general premise is that everything acquired during the marriage is to be split 50/50, regardless of title. There are many other factors that are important to consider, such as inheritances and pre-nuptial agreements.
Yes, you could. You will be a “self-represented litigant.” But unless yours is a very simple case, it is not recommended. There are steps and procedures that you must follow. The slightest mistake can cost hours of an attorney’s time to fix. There are also rights that may be waived forever unless exercised on time.
You do not need spousal consent to get divorced. You do not need to prove grounds for your divorce either. All the Court will require from you to dissolve your marriage is that you state, under oath, that, in your opinion, the marriage is irretrievably broken.
In Florida we do not have a “legally separated” status. If you decide to live apart, you will still be legally married until a final judgment for dissolution of marriage is entered.
Yes, as long as you and/or your spouse have resided in Florida for at least 6 months, regardless of your immigration status.
