Family Law Attorneys Tampa, FL

Family Law Attorneys Tampa, FL

Navigating the divorce process as a stay-at-home parent can be a uniquely daunting task. If you are grappling with this situation, you are likely overwhelmed by both financial and practical concerns. Where will your child live primarily? How will you afford to support your child? How can you best ensure that your child’s needs are met during this transition? All of these questions are both critically important and urgent. But this doesn’t mean that you need to be overly stressed about these quandaries.

There are many legal options available to stay-at-home parents during the divorce process. Please consider contacting the experienced Tampa, FL family attorneys at The McKinney Law Group to have a discussion about the specifics of your situation so that we may advise you according to your unique circumstances. Every family’s situation is different, so it is difficult to outline any “hard and fast” rules that may apply to yours. However, there are a few general realities that you may wish to keep in mind as you mentally prepare for a consultation with our Tampa, FL family law attorneys.

Child Custody

Family law judges are bound to decide child custody matters according to the “best interests of the child” standard. This means that if parents cannot agree on child custody arrangements for their child through mediation or attorney-led negotiations, the court will set the terms of a child’s custody arrangement according to what it believes is in the child’s best interests.

If you have been a stay-at-home parent for some time, you may be able to successfully argue that allowing your child to reside with you primarily is in his or her best interests. It will be easier to determine whether this argument may be particularly compelling once our Tampa, FL family law attorneys better understand your family’s general routine and your child’s needs. Although you may be understandably concerned about financially supporting your child now that you are on your own, you may be granted access to one or two kinds of financial support moving forward.

Spousal Support and Child Support

In general, couples who are divorcing are held to an “equitable distribution” standard when dividing marital property. This does not mean that all income and assets must be split. Instead, it means that each spouse must be left with an equitable share of property and assets acquired during the marriage. For example, if your spouse chooses to keep your mutual retirement accounts, he or she may need to pay you monthly installments of income known as spousal support. Or if you choose to keep the marital residence, your spouse may keep an equitable share of other assets. Our Tampa, FL family law attorneys can help you understand which property division structure may work best for you as a stay-at-home parent.

Especially if your child resides with you more than 49 percent of the time, he or she will likely be entitled to receive child support from your spouse. Support payment amounts will be calculated based upon a number of factors specific to your family’s financial situation and your child’s unique needs.

Legal Counsel Is Available

If you have questions about the divorce process, please consider scheduling a consultation with our Tampa, Florida family law attorneys today. Consultations are generally confidential and do not obligate you to take any legal action. Sitting down with an attorney will simply enable you to have your questions answered. Once you have been advised of your legal options, you will be better positioned to make the healthiest possible choices for yourself and your family. Our firm is passionate about assisting our clients during the challenging transitions associated with divorce. We would be more than happy to discuss our approach and the divorce process in detail with you.