Clearwater Divorce Attorney | St. Petersburg Family Law |

Clearwater Divorce Attorney – Divorce and Family Law in the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, and Pinellas County areas

At the Law Office of Garry L. Potts, P.A. you will have a seasoned trial attorney helping guide you through a difficult and emotional in your life. Divorce, or dissolution of marriage as it is know in Florida, can be traumatic and highly emotional for everyone involved.

Florida is a no-fault divorce state. This means that a divorce will be granted in Florida courts without the need for the judge to hear or determine the fault of either spouse for the breakdown of the marriage. The only requirement for most divorces in Florida is that the judge finds that the marriage is “irretrievably broken”. Other legal grounds for a divorce in Florida include special circumstances such as the mental incapacity of one of the spouses for at least a three year period. If a marriage was unlawful or entered into due to fraud, it may be annulled. Generally though, as long as both parties agree that the marriage is irretrievably broken the judge will grant a divorce. If there are minor children in the marriage and one of the spouses disagrees that the marriage is irretrievably broken, the judge will hear testimony and evidence before deciding whether to grant a divorce. If you are considering a divorce you should be certain that the marriage cannot be saved before you file for divorce. Marriage counseling and communication with your spouse should be undertaken to try to save the marriage. If you decide that the marriage cannot be saved, the first step is to interview a few experienced family law attorneys in your area and find one that you trust and feel comfortable dealing with.

In order to file and complete a dissolution of marriage in Florida it will be necessary to file a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage and several other legal documents. These documents will be created and filed by your attorney and at the Law Office of Garry L. Potts we will meet with you in order to insure that all necessary and accurate information is provided to the Court to meet the legal requirements. Depending upon your circumstances, these necessary legal documents may include affidavits of financial disclosure, child custody and support affidavits, agreements on the division of marital assets, parenting plans and other legal pleadings required under the Florida Rules of Procedure and family law statutes.