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Common Divorce Terms

There are several common Orlando area divorce terms. These terms are used throughout Florida. Here are some of them:

1. Dissolution of Marriage is the term that means divorce.
2. Time Sharing. This terms refers to custody and visitation.
3. Parenting Plan. This term refers to a document that encompasses all your time sharing rights and visitation rights with the child or children; and how those rights are to be implemented.
4. Uncontested dissolution is term that means a divorce where you come to an agreement without a lengthy court process and fighting.
5. Contested dissolution means an Orlando divorce where the parties are contentious and go to trial.
6. Mediation is a meeting where the parties and their attorneys conditionally bargain in hopes of reaching an agreement on the issues.
7. General Magistrate is an attorney that may hear the case in lieu of the judge if both parties agree to that.
8. Judge is the person that hears the testimony, reviews the evidence, and makes the determinations in the case.
9. Child support is the amount of money that one parent pays to the other parent for the child’s benefit and needs.
10. Alimony is the money one spouse pays to the other spouse to meet their needs and expenses after the divorce. This is in order to keep the spouse at the standard living they had during the marriage, or as reasonably close to that as is financially possible.
11. Best Interest of the Child. These are the factors that the judge evaluates in determining the time sharing of the child with the parents.
12. AAML Guidelines. These are alimony guidelines that an attorney may use to give you an idea of what the alimony could possibly be in your case. Florida has no alimony guidelines at this time. These guidelines are just a reference point to give you an idea as to an alimony reward.
13. UCCJEA. This is the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdictional Enforcement Act. This document has information regarding where and with whom the child has lived for the past 5 years. It also has information as to any prior or pending custody matters.
14. Summons. This is the document served on your spouse with the divorce pleadings notifying them that a lawsuit has been filed against them.
15. Equitable Distribution. This is the division of assets and debts during the marriage.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not form an attorney client privilege.