What Is an Uncontested Divorce?

True to its name, the term “uncontested divorce” refers to a divorce where nothing is contested (disagreed upon). That means that the divorcing spouses have to agree on every aspect of the split, including alimony and the division of marital property. And if the couple shares children, the spouses also have to agree on parental responsibility (custody), time-sharing (visitation), and child support.

Uncontested Divorce in Florida

Florida offers an expedited divorce process, known as a “simplified dissolution of marriage,” for certain couples pursuing an uncontested divorce. However, there are a number of conditions that must be met before a couple can proceed with this simplified method:

• Both spouses have to agree to proceed with a simplified dissolution of marriage.
• Both spouses must agree that their marriage is irretrievably broken.
• Both spouses have to agree on how they will divide their assets and debts.
• At least one of the spouses must have lived in Florida for the past six months.
• The couple cannot have any minor or dependent children (including adopted children).
• Neither spouse can be pregnant.
• Neither spouse can seek alimony.

As such, many couples don’t qualify for this simplified process. However, even when couples proceed with a regular dissolution of marriage, an uncontested divorce will still generally take significantly less time to resolve than a contested one. This typically means that the divorcing spouses will spend less money on the divorce and be able to move on with their lives more quickly than they would with a drawn-out contested divorce.

Experienced Divorce Attorneys Serving Clients in the Tampa Bay Area

If you and your spouse are thinking about divorcing and you’d like to know more about how uncontested divorces compare to contested ones, you can turn to the attorneys at the Law Offices of Audrey A. Jefferis, P.A. Contact us today to schedule a consultation—we’d be happy to meet with you at our main office in New Port Richey or at our satellite office in Palm Harbor.