A contested divorce is where the parties don’t agree on the resolution of things such as alimony, equitable distribution, child custody (now referred to as timesharing), child support, etc. It is common for a divorce to start out very litigious, contesting all issues, then as the divorce progresses, the parties end up settling some, or all of the issues.
In Florida, the length of a marriage is defined as the date you and your spouse are married though the date either party files an action for dissolution of marriage. The length marriage affects a spouse’s entitlement to certain types of alimony. In Florida there is what is referred to as a short term marriage, a moderate term marriage and long term marriage.
Florida is a no fault state and that means that you do not need a consent or a reason from your spouse to file for a dissolution of marriage. As long as you or your spouse have been a resident of the State of Florida for six months before filing a petition for dissolution and your marriage is irretrievably broken, you can get a divorce in the state of Florida.
