Florida Divorce: Can Hiring a Shark Come Back to Bite You?

Many clients looking for a Florida divorce attorney equate being good with being mean. They want a shark, a bulldog, a nasty SOB who will take their husband to the cleaners or ensure the wife gets nothing.

But does that really work in the long run?

First, most divorce lawyers worth their salt will tell you that you want to do whatever you can to avoid an acrimonious divorce, especially if there are children involved. If you have children, you will be tied to your former spouse for as long as you both are living. You can avoid as much contact with the other person as possible, but they will never be totally out of your life. Do you want someone who hates you to be sharing that energy with you forever?

Being nasty also takes time and money. Fees for attorneys who send out complaint letters, file petitions, conduct depositions and other various legal maneuvers can really pile up over time. That in turn usually leads to the other party engaging in the same actions, requiring more reaction from your side. Is this something you can afford?

When entering a divorce action, you should give careful thought to your overall objective in going through this painful process. You should list your financial goals, your wishes for child custody and visitation rights, the dispensation of your property and other financial assets and communicate those wishes clearly to your Florida divorce attorney.

You can rightly expect your divorce lawyer to be aggressive in protecting your rights when necessary. But looking for a shark just for the purpose of inflicting pain may bite you in the long run.