Divorce Attorney Hollywood Florida
From The Offices of Theodore H. Enfield P.A. Hollywood Fl.
Divorce is difficult enough without going into it unprepared. If you think a divorce is in your future, there are several things you can do in Florida to protect your financial interests and your family relationships. Theodore H. Enfield is a divorce lawyer in Hollywood Florida with more than 35 years of experience in dealing with domestic violence issues, and he has worked with couples on issues such as separation, divorce and child custody.
Contact our law offices in Hollywood to discuss your concerns during a free telephone consultation.
Divorce Attorney Info: How to Prepare for a Divorce
When clients come to our divorce attorneys in our Hollywood office with questions about dissolving their marriages, usually the areas of concern include equitable distribution of marital assets and debts; child custody and child support; and alimony.
Each of these areas can become a heavy burden, stressing your relationships and adding additional emotional and mental anguish. At the Law Offices of Theodore H. Enfield, our divorce attorneys work to achieve an amicable outcome for all those involved while upholding our clients’ interests.
If you are facing a divorce, we suggest that you:
- List what is important for you to achieve in your divorce, including what you would like for your children and your own financial goals.
- Collect information about your tax returns, insurance policies, bank statements, benefit programs, salary information and investment accounts.
- Open a bank account in only your name and at a bank where your spouse does not do business.
- If you receive a gift, preserve documents that show the gift was given to you personally and not to you and your spouse jointly. If you receive an inheritance, do not place it into a joint account or joint ownership with your spouse.
- Make sure your valuable documents are in a safe place.
- Do not sign any contracts, loans, mortgages, deeds or other documents without consulting a lawyer.
- Do not say anything disparaging about your spouse, especially if you have children.
Divorce Is Stressful
Going through a divorce is a very stressful time, even when both parties agree a divorce is the best option. However, that is not always the case. Many times, only one spouse wants or expects a divorce. In situations such as this, it can be easy to turn on your spouse, spread rumors, and talk about your spouse when he/she is not around. Although it may feel good to put down your spouse, you should avoid doing so, especially if you have children.
It is important to keep lines of communication open with your spouse so that the entire divorce can proceed as smoothly as possible. If you can negotiate a divorce settlement without your spouse going to court, you can make the decisions rather than letting a judge decide. This is often in the best interest of our clients because once a judge is involved, you are his or her mercy.
Family Law Legal Services in Hollywood
The Law Offices of Theodore H. Enfield provide representation for many areas of family law and divorce-related issues.
Divorce has many aspects that some couples don’t realize until they are in the thick of it. In addition to changing your life, such as your residence, place of work, and daily schedule, you’ll need to consider:
- Who will get custody of your children
- How your assets and debts will be divided
- How to protect your business, whether you are co-owners or only one spouse owns the business
- How your children will be supported financially
- Whether a domestic violence injunction should be filed
Theodore H. Enfield is dedicated to preserving your interests in your divorce case while minimizing the stress and emotional toll that divorce can take on you and your children. While we encourage clients to come to an agreeable settlement outside of court, we offer aggressive divorce litigation and representation to resolve your case in court.
It is important to note that in Florida, the courts will not grant a divorce unless a marriage is irrevocably broken. If you believe that you may be able to repair your marriage, let us know. We always work toward the best goal in each of our cases. Don’t let a family dispute ruin your marriage for the rest of your life.
Elderly Divorce
Due to Florida’s overwhelming population of elderly residents, we see many senior citizens filing for divorce in South Florida. If you are retired or considered in your “golden years,” you need a Florida divorce attorney who can fight for your interests. No two divorces are identical, and older residents who are filing for divorce will have different goals and assets than younger couples. We can help protect your retirement and pension savings during a divorce, something many people don’t consider before they file.
Locating hidden assets is one of our primary concerns for Florida residents who have established themselves financially. Often, spouses try to hide income, inheritance or other funds during a divorce case so they do not have to pay as much alimony or child support.
Divorce Lawyers for Men
While many couples strive for equality in their marriages, there is inevitably one party who earns more or ends up supporting the other party, even if the support is only slight. But when a marriage is ending, parties who are unable to support themselves are often eligible to receive alimony. A divorce can be a scary time for all involved as one person worries about the amount he or she will have to pay in alimony, and the other party worries whether he or she can survive on alimony. It’s important that you consult with an alimony lawyer who can protect your rights during a divorce.
Florida family law attorney Theodore H. Enfield has more than 35 years of experience practicing family law, including cases involving divorce and alimony issues. Whether you are approaching an uncontested divorce or a hotly contested divorce, contact our law firm.
Divorce & Child Custody
Child custody, parenting plans, timesharing — there are plenty of names for it, but it really means deciding who will house the children during certain days, weeks and months of the year. Our law firm is experienced in creating successful parenting plans for children of all ages.
As your children grow and develop, they likely will want to be involved in sports, hobbies, and activities with friends. Even if your child is a toddler, you must plan for the types of activities they may want to consider in high school. A thorough timesharing plan will help you prevent disagreements years down the road.
Why do parenting plans have to look so many years ahead?
It’s because the courts want to ensure that your children will be placed in the best situations, not just now, but for their future. Although one spouse may be ideal for supporting the children in the immediate future, he or she may not always be in the same situation. An example is a stay-at-home parent. This parent likely knows more about the child’s likes, dislikes, friends, daily schedule, etc. However, if that parent returns to work, the child’s situation can change dramatically. These are things you must consider when working out a parenting plan.
We will always advise our clients on what’s best for the children. However, that doesn’t mean forfeiting your rights as a parent or forcing you to agree to outrageous alimony and child support demands. We believe there is a balance in divorce and child custody issues that can be reached to protect everyone involved.
Florida Divorce Law Firm Here For You
We know there are many family law firms throughout South Florida from which you can gain representation for your divorce, alimony, child support or domestic violence issues. Just as each divorce is unique, so too is each divorce lawyer. Theodore H. Enfield has a proven record for providing dedicated and competent legal representation.
Here are just a few ways we can help you:
- Drafting, reviewing and modifying prenuptial or postnuptial agreements
- Mediation of family law matters, such as separation, divorce, annulment, dissolution of marriage, child support, spousal support and more.
- Aggressive representation for filing domestic violence injunctions
- Creating, planning or modifying child support agreements, parenting plans and timesharing plans
- Addressing relocation during spousal support or child support arrangements
- Negotiating, mediating and settling marital asset issues
- Investigating and uncovering financial records
- Protecting your business and reputation during a divorce
- Establishing or contesting paternity
Hiring a lawyer to handle your divorce does not mean you have to fight dirty. While we can handle even the toughest divorce lawyers, we are also able to calmly mediate and negotiate many issues surrounding divorce in Florida. Before you go for the throat, let us help you settle your family law matters in a more constructive way. And because we offer counsel to couples who wish to separate through methods other than divorce, we can provide you with experienced representation from our dissolution of marriage and annulment lawyer.
Business & High-Asset Divorces
The Law Offices of Theodore H. Enfield are ready to help you if:
- You own a business with your spouse
- You own a business, but not with your spouse
- You have a high net worth
When large amounts of money are involved, divorces are often more complex. Even if the divorce is uncontested, it can be difficult to divide the assets and debts equitably when it comes to large sums of money.
Divorces involving individuals with high net worths tend to include multiple pieces of property, stocks, bonds, investments, trusts, businesses, retirement funds, pensions and other types of accounts. It can be increasingly difficult to fairly divide these types of equity that have amounted over the years.
Dividing assets and debts fairly does not always mean “evenly.” Sometimes, one party may receive more or less than the other party. It is our goal to assess all of your assets, sources of income, property, businesses and holdings as early as possible so that you can be prepared for what is to come.
Having a valid prenuptial agreement can help you avoid a messy divorce later because these documents include how assets and debts will be divided if the marriage ends. You can create the terms and conditions of your prenuptial, so it is completely unique to you, your spouse and your marriage. For example, one couple may agree that funds earned before the marriage are off-limits when the marriage ends, but another couple may decide to distribute all funds equally if the marriage fails.
Hiring a Divorce Lawyer
Legal matters that involve family members are often described as “messy” or “nasty” because family members know how to “hit them where it hurts.” While these kind of tactics may seem like a good idea at the beginning of your divorce, they often come back to haunt you.
Our divorce and family law attorneys help clients get through divorces in Florida, whether they are located in Hollywood or are considered a “snow bird”. Because of his extensive family law experience, attorney Theodore H. Enfield has helped to settle many family disputes that arise during a divorce or child custody battle.
At the Law Offices of Theodore H. Enfield, we provide compassionate, knowledgeable representation. Contact our office in Hollywood today if you are considering divorce. The best way to begin divorce proceedings is to be prepared. Our South Florida divorce law firm can help you gather information concerning your schedule, financial assets, debts and more so that you know where you stand before your spouse’s lawyer does.
How Much Does Divorce Lawyer Cost?
Our Hollywood office proudly serves South Florida, including Hollywood Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Call us for a free consultation and begin preparing for your divorce today.
