Divorce
Divorce
Calm, capable counsel through contested, uncontested, and simplified dissolutions of marriage in Florida.
When a marriage ends, every decision begins to compound.
When a marriage moves toward divorce, the architecture of daily life begins to shift all at once. Schools, finances, the family home, and the rhythm of an ordinary week each become questions that demand answers — often on a timeline far shorter than the gravity of the moment deserves.
The firm's approach begins with listening — to the facts of the marriage, to the priorities of the client, and to the household that will remain after the file is closed. Only then does the legal strategy take shape, with more than fifteen years of Palm Beach County experience behind it.
Three pathways, one careful analysis.
Florida recognizes three forms of dissolution. A contested divorce applies when spouses cannot agree on parenting, support, or the division of property — matters that require deeper negotiation and, when necessary, advocacy in the circuit court. National family-law data suggests most divorces are at least partially contested at the outset, even when the parties hope to settle.
An uncontested divorce moves forward when every issue is already resolved between the parties; the work of counsel is to ensure the marital settlement agreement is comprehensive and properly drafted. A simplified dissolution is the narrowest path — reserved for couples without minor children, with no pregnancy, and full agreement on assets and debts.
Residency, waiting periods, and the rhythm of the case.
Florida requires at least one spouse to have lived in the state for six months before a petition can be filed. After filing, the statute imposes a minimum twenty-day waiting period; most contested matters take six to eighteen months, depending on the issues and the court's calendar.
Throughout the case, both parties must provide complete financial disclosure — a sworn affidavit, tax returns, pay records, and documentation of any business interests. Where children are involved, the court also requires a parenting plan addressing time-sharing, parental responsibility, and the practical mechanics of two households.
Dividing what was built — fairly, not formulaically.
Florida is an equitable distribution state — assets and liabilities are divided in a manner the court considers fair, which is not always equal. The statute starts from a presumption of a fifty-fifty split, then weighs factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse's economic circumstances, and contributions including those of a homemaker.
The first task is classification: separating marital property, which is divisible, from nonmarital property, which stays with its original owner. Once classified, real estate, retirement accounts, business interests, and stock-based compensation must each be valued — an area where informed counsel often makes a meaningful financial difference.
Our objective is never the loudest outcome — it is the most durable one. Sound counsel, calmly delivered, is what carries a client through.
The decisions that reach beyond the courtroom.
When children are involved, no element of the case carries greater weight than the parenting framework that will emerge from it. Florida favors arrangements in which both parents remain meaningfully engaged, and the court evaluates a long list of statutory factors when crafting or approving a time-sharing schedule with the child's welfare at the center.
Child support follows a guidelines formula tied to each parent's income, the overnight schedule, and healthcare and childcare costs. Alimony — reformed in 2023 — may be awarded as bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational support; permanent alimony is no longer available in new matters, making the analysis more fact-sensitive than ever.
The value of an attorney is felt long after the file is closed.
It's a common belief that hiring a divorce attorney turns a quiet matter into a contested one. The opposite is more often true. Sound counsel engaged early tends to narrow disputes, surface issues before they harden, and create the procedural discipline that allows difficult matters to resolve at the negotiating table.
Beyond strategy, an experienced attorney protects details that quietly shape a client's financial life for years — survivor benefits, the treatment of commingled premarital assets, and the tax consequences of various settlement structures. Engaging the firm means working directly with Gabrielle from the first conversation through the final order.
A confidential conversation is the right place to begin.
A confidential conversation is the right place to begin.
Every divorce begins with a single conversation. The goal of that first meeting is not to commit to a strategy or make decisions under pressure — it is to understand the landscape, ask the questions that have been weighing on you, and leave with a clearer view of the road ahead.
Initial consultations are confidential and conducted personally by Gabrielle. Whether your matter is straightforward or complex, you will be met with candor, discretion, and the judgment that fifteen years of Palm Beach County family law makes possible.