Florida Divorce & The Economy: 3 Things to Ponder Before Divorcing

There are plenty of reasons - emotional and economic - to delay divorce. Sometime just saying the "d" word out loud can start you down the divorce path. Before you start down that path in these uncertain economic times, here are three things to think about first:

1. Real Estate/Housing Costs - If you own a house and one of you cannot refinance to buy the other one out AND afford to then stay in the house, it is difficult to sell now because the market is loaded with foreclosures and short sales. This type of "refi" requires one party to qualify for a new loan, which is more difficult today. The new loan terms may not be as favorable as the existing mortgage terms. Not to mention that here in Florida our home insurance and utility rates continue to climb, challenging everyone's budget. And of course, two homes cost more than one.
2. Health Insurance - If anyone in your family has a chronic illness, it may be impossible to get replacement health insurance. Even without a chronic illness, the cost of an individual plan will be higher than a group family plan. Company group plan must accept new members but individual plans do not. Be sure to check out what the cost will be so you can properly budget for it.
3. Relocation of Children - If you have kids and get divorced in Florida, you must have consent of the other parent and a court order before you can move the kids more than 50 miles from where they lived at the time of final judgment. Many parents want to return to another state where they have family support (and often a lower cost of living) but cannot do so until they comply with the relocation procedures in Florida custody law.

These three things alone may give you cause to pause and ponder whether this is the right time to divorce. I'll leave you to find the divorce therapists' blogs where you can examine the emotional consequences of divorce but want to point out a good article about the holidays and your kids over at the modern woman's divorce guide blog.