Coral Springs Criminal Defense and Family Law Blog

There are various ways around the country to separate from a spouse. Most people are familiar with divorce, annulment and legal separation. However, the state of Florida does not formally recognize legal separation. Instead, couples will need to file for a "limited divorce," if that is the path they wish to pursue. 

Everyone's situation is different, and you need to weigh all your options carefully. Filing for a regular divorce may not be right for everybody, especially if one spouse will still need the other spouse's benefits. Here are the basics of what you need to know about limited divorce. 

Many Florida parents' main goal is to help their children grow up happy and healthy. Of course, major life changes can often hinder the process of reaching that goal, and divorce can have particular impacts on children. However, that impact does not necessarily mean that parents have to stay together for the kids. Instead, they may want to help them through the process as best as possible.

Parents may want to understand that children can pick up on tension between their parents. Therefore, it may be wise to keep as much of the divorce process out of the home and out of the children's lines of sight as possible. They will need to be involved at certain points, but parents should try to avoid fighting in front of the kids or make it seem like the children should favor one parent over the other.

No longer getting along is a common reason that individuals divorce. When there are children involved, some Florida parents may have to get along to some degree in order to stay compliant with their child custody orders. However, if situations change, parents may need to revisit their custody arrangements and possibly request alterations to address the personal changes that have occurred.

While pursuing a custody modification may seem like the obvious choice for parents who are unhappy with their current agreements, it is important to remember that the court does not grant alterations lightly. If one parent is moving away, that action may be a reason to have the arrangements reviewed. It still does not guarantee a custody change as the court will look at the reason for moving, whether the current terms would still work and whether changes to the existing order would interfere with the child's life.