In addition, divorce cases often result in significant financial decisions. You and your family attorney will need to decide on factors like:

• Alimony: if one party in the divorce has a significantly higher income than the other, the court may grant alimony. Alimony is a legal obligation in which a court may require a higher-earning spouse to make periodic payments to a lower-earning spouse, based on the paying spouse’s ability to pay and the recipient spouse’s need for financial support. The law uses alimony as a way to reward one spouse for taking on domestic duties, like raising a child, instead of furthering their own career. Alimony attempts to help the lower-earning spouse maintain their pre-divorce quality of life.
• Child Support: In Florida, child support is a legal obligation to ensure children receive financial support from both parents. The amount is based on each parent’s income and the time they spend with the child. Child support helps provide for the child’s daily needs, health, education, and overall quality of life following a divorce or separation. If a parent received a child support order from the court but their spouse refuses to pay, the parent can file a claim with the court to force the delinquent spouse to pay from their bank account or garnish their checks.
• Child Visitation: this actually isn’t a term that we use in the state of Florida. Instead, the Sunshine State uses the phrase “time sharing” to refer to this legal concept. In Florida, time-sharing determines how much time your child spends with each parent and who makes important decisions about their health, education, and daily care. Working with an experienced family attorney, you can create a schedule that meets your child’s needs and protects their best interests while ensuring both parents remain actively involved in their life.