Misconceptions About Divorce

If you’ve been thinking about divorce and are about to pull the trigger, be sure to do a little research so you’re not completely blown away by the reality of what’s ahead. Even though you may have seen TV divorces and maybe even have friends and family who’ve gone through it, things aren’t always exactly as you might expect.

Common Misconceptions 

Oftentimes people go into divorce with preconceived notions about how things work, only to be stunned and forlorn when they come face to face with the facts.  Some common misconceptions include:

1-    Women always get preferential treatment when it comes to custody disputes:  Nope!  While every situation is different, there is plenty of research to inform judges about the benefits of children having strong, consistent relationships with both parents.  Hence, the preferred arrangement most of the time is for shared custody.

2-    Your spouse cheated, so you can get a much better settlement: Again, not so fast. The truth is that even though an affair may have been devastating to you, it plays little, if any role in a divorce settlement.  Florida is a no-fault divorce state, so unless you can prove that your spouse spent marital assets to feed the affair, it’s unlikely a judge will consider the misconduct during settlement negotiations.

3-    People will take my side:  Maybe. There will likely be people who take your spouse’s side too, as well as those who try to remain neutral (which may feel like it’s stepping away from you.)

4-    One parent stayed home to raise the kids, so the other will be paying alimony forever: Not necessarily!  There are multiple considerations at play as alimony payments are determined, including length of the marriage, age, health, education, work experience, time needed to get into the job market, and more.  There is simply no one rule that determines what happens here, although your attorney can give you some general ideas about what might happen.

5-    I get to keep my car because I bought it for myself and only my name is on the title:  If the vehicle was purchased with marital funds during the course of the marriage, it’s thrown in with the rest of the stuff that has to be equitably divided.  So while you may get to keep your car, you will likely have to give up something of like value in the settlement.

6-    The fact that my spouse was horrible to me proves they’re a horrible parent, meaning I will get full custody:  Not really.  There are plenty of awful spouses who make wonderful parents, and, in fact, many parents even sharpen their parenting skills when they become a single parent during their time alone with their kids.

 Getting You Ready for Divorce 

At WiseLieberman, our experienced Boca Raton divorce attorneys can’t make any guarantees, but they can certainly help to prepare you for the realities of divorce in broad strokes.  To discuss your situation, schedule a confidential consultation in our Boca Raton office today.