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​​What Are My Choices When Getting a Divorce in the Orlando, Florida Area?

You are getting a divorce. What are your options in the Orlando, Florida area? You can go to mediation. You can enter into a Marital Settlement Agreement. You can do the process collaboratively as a collaborative divorce. You can do your divorce through the court system. 

What are the pros and cons of each option? Some people choose to go to a mediator without attorneys before they file for divorce. If you can do this successfully, you save yourself the costs of attorney’s fees and litigation expenses.   

Marital Settlement Agreement

You can also hire an attorney and try to enter into a Marital Settlement Agreement and file the Marital Settlement Agreement with the Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and other required pleadings. If you can do this, you save yourself the cost of large attorney’s fees and litigation costs. You pay your attorney to prepare the dissolution pleadings, the marital settlement agreement and the final judgment of dissolution of marriage. However, that is much cheaper than paying an attorney for an acrimonious contentious litigated divorce.  

Collaborative Divorce Process

You could also take the Collaborative route. That is to do your divorce by the collaborative process. The collaborative process is much cheaper than acrimonious contentious litigation. There are also other benefits to the collaborative process such as the confidentiality of the process and being able to come up with creative options and solutions. Further, there is a collaborative mental health neutral and a financial neutral that assist you in the process. 

Going Through the Courts

Lastly, there is the option of doing your case in court. You file the pleadings in the court, and the opposing party files answers to the pleadings that you filed. You each do mandatory disclosure on your case. You or the opposing party may file motions regarding your case. 

During this process, you can try to enter into a marital settlement agreement. You must also attend mediation prior to a temporary relief hearing and attend mediation prior to going to trial. This process is usually a much longer process than the other options because you may have to wait several months to get a trial date. Further, litigation is an expensive process. Your attorney will usually bill you monthly or every two weeks. The more you litigate, the more expensive the cost of your attorney’s fees and litigation costs. 

These are things to think about regarding your options during an upcoming Orlando, Florida divorce case. If you have more questions regarding a Marital and Family Law matter, you may call Ann Marie Giordano Gilden at Ann Marie Giordano Gilden, P.A. at 407-732-7620 and set an initial consultation. You may also visit my website at https://www.annmariegildenlaw.com