Fort Lauderdale Divorce Law Blog | Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A.

Know your child support responsibilities

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Child Support on Friday, January 11, 2019.

When you don't live with your children, you might be ordered to pay for child support. While you give this to your ex, it is meant to help with the costs of raising your children. Your ex can use these payments to cover things like rent or mortgage payments, utilities, clothing for the child, school costs and other similar items. It is usually co-mingled in the household money, so your ex won't account for everything that it is spent on. This can be troubling for some paying parents, but don't let that stop you from making the payments.

Failing to make the payments as ordered by the court can lead to you having additional legal troubles. These can include some very serious penalties, so you can't let your account get into the arrears. If you are having difficulties paying, you need to do your best to keep up with them.

Co-parenting must help children feel stable and secure

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Friday, January 4, 2019.

High-conflict co-parenting can be stressful to the parents and the children. While you might not be able to do much to shield yourself from the matters, you do need to do what you can to protect your children from this type of unnecessary stress.

One thing that might help you remain calmer is having a clear plan for handling contentious matters. This should be outlined in the child custody order and include expectations of respect. Including detailed steps to follow for resolution can help co-parents reach accord with as little stress as possible.

Are you planning on filing for divorce in 2019?

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in High Asset Divorce on Friday, December 28, 2018.

Some people will decide that the start of 2019 is the best time to file for divorce, After all, it's a new year and a good time for a fresh start. If you decide to do this, make sure that you plan for it now. This is especially important if you and your soon-to-be ex have vast assets.

High-asset divorces are often more complicated than others since you have to divide all the marital assets. Part of this is determining which are community assets and which are owned separately. You also have to worry about the value of the assets as you prepare to divide them.

Set social media guidelines in child custody situations

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Friday, December 21, 2018.

Child custody matters are complicated. When you are going through things with your children or your ex, you might be tempted to turn to social media to vent. The average person spends around 50 minutes per day on social media, but this doesn't mean that you should use this time to beat down your ex or discuss matters that are best left private.

Some people tend to overshare on social media. Essentially, it is easy to forget that what you share on sites like Instagram, Twitter or Facebook can leave a permanent footprint. Even if you delete posts, there is still a chance that someone took a screenshot before you deleted it.

Know the terms of your alimony order in a divorce

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Alimony on Friday, December 14, 2018.

Paying your ex alimony might not be on the top of your priority list during your divorce. As you are working out the terms of the split, you need to consider this possibility so that you aren't walking away with a lesser settlement than you should. We are here to help you look into the chance that alimony will be a component of your divorce.

Just to be clear – not all divorces in Florida involve alimony. These financial support payments are more common in long marriages. Many of them have to do with a spouse who stayed home to care for the children or the house. Even then, the alimony order might be temporary.

Conflicts in co-parenting must be handled carefully

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Friday, December 7, 2018.

A co-parenting arrangement is sometimes a good idea for the children, but it can be rather difficult for the parents. When you are going through this situation, you need to be prepared for handling conflicts with your ex. This can be a challenge but with respect and proper planning, it is possible.

One of the first things that you have to remember is that you don't need to judge your ex. There is a difference between discernment and judgment. No adult wants to have someone else always nitpicking what they are doing. Co-parenting isn't any different.

Property division can impact you well into the future

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Property Division on Friday, November 30, 2018.

The property division process during a divorce can be one of the most difficult aspects of leaving the marriage. Each party likely has an idea of what they want to walk away with. When both adults agree on this, the process is easy. When you both want to the same assets, there can be a problem.

For many people, working through the property division matters through mediation is preferable to having to let the court decide who is going to get what. During the mediation process, you and your ex work together to negotiate a settlement. Since you have a say in what you are going to walk away with, you can try to work out something that is beneficial to you both. Nobody is disadvantaged during mediation because you both must agree to the final division of property.

Factors that impact your divorce-related finances

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Property Division on Friday, November 23, 2018.

Dividing marital assets can become a headache if there are many to split. Anyone who is facing this possibility needs to ensure that they are thinking about their current financial situation and how the various division options might affect their futures. It is easy to overestimate what you can handle when you are going through a divorce because you're so accustomed to dual marital finances.

Before you sit down to divide property, you need to consider what is going to happen with support payments. If there is a good chance that you will have to pay child support or alimony, pencil these into your budget. This gives you an idea of what you can actually afford after those payments are made. Since they are usually made by an allotment out of your paycheck, you won't ever see the money.

The division of assets and debts is important during divorce

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in High Asset Divorce on Friday, November 16, 2018.

The property division process of a divorce is often filled with emotion, but the need for logic is also present. You have to think carefully about how various arrangements will impact you since they can change the course of your life. We know that you might have a list of the assets that you want to keep. Before you go into the first mediation session, look through that list. Decide which priorities on which to focus so that you are prepared going into the meeting.

When you are thinking about the division of assets, consider how they will affect your bank account. Many assets come with upkeep costs and other expenses. For instance, in order to keep the family home, you must have the financial means to make the mortgage payments. You don't need something that you fought for to become a source of monetary stress.

Teach your children that personal boundaries are healthy

On behalf of Mark Abzug of Law Offices of Mark Abzug, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Friday, November 9, 2018.

Teaching your children life lessons can be difficult after a divorce, partially because you and your ex might not always agree on these lessons. One that you should be able to agree on is how to set and respect personal boundaries. This is a critical lesson for children.

It can be difficult for them to understand these concepts when they are young, but this is the best time to start teaching them about this. They need to learn that personal boundaries apply to almost every situation in life.

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