Archive: October 2019

In contemplating whether or not you want to get a divorce, the experts suggest not only asking yourself what your goal is and whether divorce is your best option to achieve it, but to analyze a number of potential red flags, as opposed to just one. Below, we discuss 12 that you may want to take a close look at:

You are no longer eating together

While this may seem like a minor issue, it may be a sign of something more major—i.e. that the two of you are disjointed and lacking in that connection time.

They are suffering from addiction and refuse to get help

This not only applies to issues such as alcohol, drugs or gambling, but severe mental health issues as well, especially any that are endangering you or others.

You are only still together because of your children

If this is the case, it could be a sign that the connection between the two of you has suffered or that you have put so much energy into your children that the relationship has suffered. Keep in mind that in some circumstances, it can be more difficult on your children to wait to divorce until they are older or leave home for college if there are unhealthy behaviors associated with staying together.

The Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit (which includes Florida) recently reopened a product liability case (involving a plaintiff who sued Ford for breach of an implied warranty of merchantability due to a seat belt coming undone during an auto accident) that could have tremendous implications for manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, and others in the stream of commerce.

Specifically, while the previous judge ruled in favor of the defendant (Ford) in an allegedly defective seatbelt case – finding that the seatbelt worked when the truck was sold 10 years’ prior and was “altered in the meantime,” which led to the subsequent accident and injury (through no fault of the manufacturer) –  the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit vacated the trial court’s ruling (summary judgment for Ford), finding that a “reasonable person” could expect that a “seatbelt should not come undone in an accident 10 years later simply due to normal wear and tear.”

f you are pursuing a divorce, there are a number of issues you want to make sure you discuss with your divorce attorney and, in some cases, related professionals, such as your financial planner, so as to ensure that your future finances and retirement are protected, as we discuss below:

First, make sure you know what your monthly expenses look like – as well as your immediate needs and how they will be affected by the divorce – for example, will you need a new car and place to live, will there be insurance changes, groceries and gas to purchase, etc. Start small and work into bigger items, such as retirement savings.

Make sure that part of this involves managing your costs during the divorce. This includes tracking any money spent on financial planners, your divorce attorney, and any other professionals you have been working with. Also make sure that you are familiar with the timeline for the process so that you know exactly how long will be paying for these professionals.