Should I Wait Until After the Coronavirus Outbreak to File For Divorce?
At this moment pretty much everybody on planet Earth is well aware of the coronavirus also known as COVID 19 and the effects that it is having on the world and the world’s economies.
With millions of people suddenly out of work due to the massive shutdowns of certain industries many people are wondering if this is the right or wrong time to hire a divorce attorney in Orlando and seek a dissolution of marriage.
The answer to this question is highly dependent on many factors including; the threshold for stress that each individual has as well as the type of employment they have.
This is because they divorce can be a very stressful endeavor and, let’s face it, the stress level of most people in United States is already quite high due to the coronavirus outbreak and the mandatory shutdowns of businesses as a result.
Another important factor to consider is that a contested divorce can be very unpredictable in terms of total cost especially if the other side hires an attorney who is working to stir up additional conflict. This can lead to higher legal fees than expected which, when coupled with massive layoffs and a temporarily downed economy could cause some cash flow issues in terms of attorney’s fees.
However, many people are recognizing that the layoffs and the dip in the economy can present advantageous opportunities to get lower support obligations than they would have otherwise.
What Are Some Reasons I Should Not Put Off Getting Divorced During the COVID-19 Outbreak?
A self-employed person who has consistently earned over $100,000 per year may have suddenly had to lay off employees and are struggling to stay in business due to the current shutdowns.
Many of these folks see this as an opportunity to get divorced and to lower child support and alimony payments due to the reduction in their incomes.
Whether or not this is a good strategy depends on a person’s individual situation and should only be undertaken with very specific advice from a legal professional.
It will be important to remember, however, that the divorce courts will carefully consider your historical financial situation and compare it to your current financial situation and may put provisions in place that would provide the other party an easy way to get back into court for a modification is when things improve.
Certain judges will do things like this if they recognize that there is a temporary dip in business.
If you already have a final judgment in place and your income has suffered due to the outbreak-related shutdown then you may qualify for a modification of your child support or alimony payment.
Source:
https://www.affordablefamilylawyer.com/orlando-uncontested-divorce-lawyer/
Photo: Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
Sean Smallwood is an Orlando divorce attorney for the law firm Sean Smallwood, Orlando Divorce & Family Law P.A. where he represents clients in all areas of family law and divorce. 100% of the practice is devoted to family law. As an attorney in Orlando, he has helped many families with a wide variety of family law cases including Divorce, Child Custody, Child Support, and many other issues.
