Caring Jacksonville Divorce and Family Law Attorneys
Many of the reasons behind divorce − such as affairs or other bad behavior − are not actionable in the Florida marriage dissolution process. While you may feel angry toward your spouse, emotions will not help you reach a satisfactory settlement. A caring and professional family law attorney can impart wisdom and help you get past an emotional response.
Jacksonville County has nearly a 50 percent divorce rate, which is higher than any other Florida county. At the Law Office of Craig Gibbs in Jacksonville, we represent clients throughout the Florida's First Coast, including military personnel at Mayport Naval Station and Jacksonville Naval Air Station (NAS-Jacks).
No-Fault Divorce
Florida is a no-fault divorce state. This means that the court is not interested in the reasons for your divorce. To dissolve your marriage, all you need to do is prove that you and your spouse have "irreconcilable differences."
Divorce is painful enough without making it more contentious through the legal process. Our attorneys favor mediation over litigation to help you reach an amicable settlement for issues such as:
- Marital property division. Under Florida law, courts begin with a presumption of equitable distribution in which marital property is distributed fairly and equally. However, some parties may receive more than half of the estate in some cases − for example, if one party squandered marital assets.
- Child custody, visitation and support. Florida favors shared parenting unless there are strong reasons not to.
- Alimony. In Florida, alimony can be paid in long-term marriages. For a marriage to be considered "long-term", under case law, a marriage has to last at least ten years, and perhaps as long as 17 years.
Most people walk out of divorce mediation feeling that they did as well as they could, given the situation. People rarely feel that way after a divorce trial. However, mediation is not always the right answer. If you are the victim of an abusive spouse, or if your spouse is being unreasonable in negotiations, we can help you obtain the protection you need.
To talk to a lawyer about your divorce or family law case: Please call 904-236-4118 or fill out the simple contact form on this site. We are respected black attorneys who provide caring representation in matters involving the family. We are located in the Stein Mart building on the south bank of downtown Jacksonville.
