As you may or may not know, it is public record when you get a divorce. Anything you file against your spouse could become public, and the same is true about anything he or she files against you.
What kind of things might show up on a public record?
Your finances, business finances, stories about how you or your spouse parented, and allegations against one another are all in the public eye after a court hearing. If you don’t want your personal life in the public sphere, then it’s important to take steps to work through a collaborative divorce process.
How does a collaborative divorce process keep your Florida divorce more private?
If you go to court and litigate in public, everything that happens will be public record. However, if you work through a collaborative process, you must sign a contract that states that you will resolve all of your conflicts in meetings outside the courtroom. When you do this, you prevent any allegations made against you from becoming a part of permanent public records.
In a collaborative process, you and your spouse are each represented by a single attorney with specialized training. Each attorney argues based on your interests and works through disputes and negotiations on your behalf. Once you and your spouse can settle on an agreement for your divorce, everything is filed with the court. Some information will still be public record, like some kinds of income information or anything that is spoken in court, but the rest of the agreement is confidential and stays out of the public eye.
Source: Portland Business Journal, “How to divorce without publicizing your private life,” Joanna Posey, Oct. 18, 2016
