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Dedicated to Family Law Since 1998 at Harvard Law School's Hale & Dorr Legal Services
The Divorce Process

Fort Lauderdale Divorce Process Lawyer

Understanding the Florida Divorce Process

How Long Does the Divorce Process in Florida Take?

There is no definite answer to this question. There is a minimum wait of 20 days from the initial filing to the finalization of a divorce. However, typically only uncontested divorces are completed in this time frame.

Serving and Response Time Frame

If the responding party has been served with divorce papers, they have 20 days to answer. If they fail to answer within 20 days, the filing party can proceed with the divorce. If the responding party answers, there is a mandatory discovery process due within 45 days of the date of service.

Contested Child Custody Cases

If you are in the process of a divorce and cannot come to an agreement with your spouse in regard to child custody, Fort Lauderdale divorce attorney Rebekah Brown-Wiseman can help. You have several options in your child custody case, in that you can:

  • Dispose the other parent of your child(ren): Obtain information and fix their testimony so they cannot change it later.
  • Work with a guardian ad litem: A guardian ad litem is an individual who is appointed by the court to represent the interests of the child in a child custody case.
  • Work with a parenting coordinator: A parenting coordinator is a neutral third party who works with parents on child custody matters.
  • Work closely with witnesses: A judge needs concise, credible testimony to make findings a fact upon which to issue a judicial ruling.
  • Obtain a psychological or psychiatric evaluation of the other parent of your child: A psychological or psychiatric evaluation may be administered to determine if one parent has a history of a mental illness such as depression, abuse or another condition that may affect his or her parenting abilities.
  • Obtain a substance abuse evaluation of the other parent of your child: If one spouse has a history of alcohol or drug abuse, a substance abuse evaluation may be administered.

Find out more about these divorce-related topics:

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer

Contact the Fort Lauderdale law office today to schedule a free initial consultation. Call 954-854-0104 for more information about the divorce process in Florida.