DIVORCE

We have combined more than 30 years of experience representing clients in family law matters.   Attorney June Zhou has represented clients in the family matters before the family courts in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Tampa, Fort Myles and Naples.  As its process is often time consuming, emotional and costly, divorce can be an extremely emotional and difficult time for the parties involved.  Its consequences of the outcome are even more serious.  Seeking the representation of an experienced family law attorney can make things much smoother.

Florida is a state of no-fault divorce, which means that divorce can be processed without blaming either party for breaking of the marriage. The petition of dissolution of marriage can be filed as long as you have a  legal marriage, one party has been residing in the State for six months immediately filing the petition of dissolution of marriage, and the marriage is irretrievably broken (completely broken) or one party was found to be mentally incapacitated.   If the above requirements are met, you may begin the divorce proceeding, which can be either contested or uncontested

(1) UNCONTESTED DIVORCE

An uncontested divorce is one either in which the parties are able agree on the terms or one party cannot be located.

If all parties agree to divorce and agree on the terms of the divorce settlement then at least one party may not need to appear in court.   If one party is nowhere to be located, other party still can begin the dissolution of marriage according to the procedures set by the Court.  Attorney June Zhou regularly represents these cases and can ensure process correctly and will consider for a flat fee.

(2) CONTESTED DIVORCE

Contested divorce occurs when the parties cannot agree on the issues of the dissolution of marriage such as child custody and support, alimony and the settlement of property, among other things.  In these cases, the matter must be adjudicated before the Florida Circuit Court in order to be finalized.  Attorney June Zhou has successfully represented a large number of clients in these types of divorces and has achieved favorable results in the most of these situations.   Please do not leave the outcome of your divorce to your luck.  Attorney June Zhou will meet with you, evaluate your case, explain your options and appear in court on your behalf.

If you are planning to file petition for divorce or you have received a complaint of dissolution of marriage, please call June Zhou, Chinese speaking attorney at (561)573-7577 for a consultation today.

Child Custody and Support

Child custody and support usually are major disputes in the divorce proceedings because they are emotional and expensive.  The courts usually consider many matters of the parties to decide the rights of primary custody or shared custody.  Florida State presumes both parents have rights to access their children.  In addition, Florida requests both parents are responsible for the financial support of their minor children (children are under age of 18) and has set up a standard formula for calculating responsibilities of each party for child support.  Based on the number of children that are in need of support, a certain percentage of the combined gross income will be assessed.   By using this formulaic approach, the court allows attorneys to come up with an approximate estimate of what their clients are entitled to or how much they will pay to the other. However, the court will consider many other issues such as medical insurance and education expenses, etc. An experienced attorney would make the matter much less stressful.

Spousal Support

One spouse will often need financial support during a separation or after the divorce.  In these situations, the court may award spousal support in a lump sum or in installments for a fixed or indefinite term.  There is no formulaic approach to a determination of spousal support.   In deciding how the support will be awarded, the courts can consider the following factors:

• The financial situation of each party;
  • the lifestyle during marriage;
  • the age and physical and mental conditions of both parties;
  • the ability of the spouse seeking support to obtain employment;
  • the distribution of martial property;
  • the earning potential of the parties and if the earning potential of either party was affected in any way by the circumstances of the marriage; and
  • any other factors that the court deems to be proper and just.

Attorney June Zhou will fight to protect your rights.  Please call us at (954)482-0274 or (561) 573-7577 to discuss your matter today.

PROPERTY SETTLEMENT

Property Settlement Agreement and Marital Settlement Agreement

Separation Agreement can be used during the marriage or during the divorce proceedings.   It is used to provide for the future governance of your relationship, and to give additional evidence to the court about the day that you separated.  If it is sued in the divorce proceeding, a Marital Settlement Agreement leaves no doubt about the details of the ending of your marriage relationship. It is better to have a written agreement, rather than rely on verbal understandings or promises.

When you have a Marital Settlement Agreement in Florida your divorce proceedings will be much simpler and it will be much clear to the court that there is an uncontested divorce. You do not file the Marital Settlement Agreement or Separation Agreement with the Court initially.  However, once you begin the proceedings of dissolution marriage you should attach the Marital Settlement Agreement to the petition and ask the court to merge the Agreement into the final judicial decree.