Divorce Lawyer Serving Lakeland, FL 

The process of going through a divorce can be personally stressful and legally challenging. The decisions that get made in working out the settlement are often the foundation for the next chapter of your life. Our Lakeland divorce lawyers have deep experience and a track record of helping clients get the results they need. 

Call Sessums Law Group, P.A. at (813) 212-8330 or contact us online to schedule a consultation.

How Our Lakeland Divorce Lawyers Can Help

There are a lot of moving parts in a divorce settlement, particularly in cases where children are involved, or financial portfolios are complex. Our attorneys have a sound grasp of issues like these: 

Property Division 

In a Florida divorce, property division is based on the principle of equitable distribution. This means that the court seeks to divide marital assets and liabilities in a fair and reasonable manner, rather than an automatic 50/50 split. 

Equitable distribution refers specifically to marital property, which typically includes assets acquired during the marriage, Separate property, on the other hand, generally refers to assets acquired before the marriage or through inheritance or gift to one spouse. Separate property will typically revert to the spouse who brought it into the marriage. 

Determining what is marital property and what is separate property can be complex, particularly on assets like real estate or stocks that one person might have owned prior to the marriage, but have since appreciated in value. Whether or not a spouse is treated fairly in the final decisions made on equitable distribution may depend on the ability of their lawyer to understand complicated, layered issues, and make a cohesive case. Our track record can give you confidence we can do just that. 

Child Custody 

Family courts prioritize the best interests of the child. The default approach is to encourage shared parental responsibility, which involves both parents making decisions about the child's upbringing, education, healthcare, and other important aspects of their life. However, in cases where it is determined that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the child, sole custody may be awarded to one parent.

Factors considered in determining a child’s best interest include the mental and physical health of each parent, the child's relationship with each parent, the ability of each parent to provide a stable environment, and any history of abuse or neglect. 

We believe our clients know what’s best for their own children, and we work hard to present their case in negotiations and, when necessary, in court.

Child Support 

Child support is intended to ensure that the financial needs of the child are met by both parents. The calculation of child support takes into account the income of both parents, the number of children involved, the cost of healthcare and childcare, and other relevant factors.

The parent with whom the child spends the majority of their time is generally considered the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent is typically responsible for making child support payments, which are intended to cover the child's basic needs, education, and healthcare. 

Spousal Support

Alimony--also known as spousal support or maintenance--may be awarded in cases where one spouse requires financial assistance from the other to maintain their standard of living. In Florida, spousal support is based on the needs of the recipient spouse and the ability of the paying spouse to provide support. 

Factors considered in determining these payments include the length of the marriage, each spouse's earning capacity, contributions made to the marriage, and more. The duration and amount of alimony payments are determined by the court on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the specific circumstances of the parties involved.

Florida Bar board-certified Divorce Lawyers You Can Trust

Attorney Sessums is one of just four lawyers in the entire state of Florida to be Florida Bar Florida Bar board-certified in the areas of Marital Law, Family Law, and Trial Law. Attorney Brittany Pinson has earned the designation of Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Marital and Family Law. Our deep team of talented lawyers and dedicated staff have built a record of good results that can give clients confidence. 

Call our office today at (813) 212-8330. Our Lakeland divorce attorneys serve both English and Spanish-speaking clients.