Divorce & Dissolution of Marriage
The decisions made during a divorce can shape what comes next.
Divorce involves more than ending a marriage. It can require decisions about children, property, businesses, support, and financial security—often at a time when those decisions are particularly difficult to make.
At Probasco Singer Bayne, we help clients understand what matters, identify what requires attention, and develop a strategy suited to their circumstances and priorities.
Every divorce is different. The need for sound judgment is not.
Some divorces begin with substantial agreement. Others involve complicated finances, difficult parenting issues, or fundamental disagreements about what a fair resolution should look like.
The right approach depends on the case.
We begin by understanding the family, the financial picture, the issues that are likely to matter most, and the client's objectives. From there, we work to distinguish the questions that require immediate attention from those that can be resolved deliberately over time.
That perspective helps us develop a strategy rather than simply react to the next issue that arises.
What a divorce may involve
Parenting & Timesharing
Parental responsibility, parenting plans, schedules, holidays, decision-making, relocation, and other issues affecting children.
Property & Debt
Identifying, classifying, valuing, and dividing marital assets and liabilities.
Businesses & Professional Practices
Ownership interests, valuation, income, business records, goodwill, and the effect of divorce on an operating business or professional practice.
Alimony
Evaluating the financial circumstances relevant to whether support is appropriate and, if so, its amount and duration.
Child Support
Determining support in light of income, parenting arrangements, health insurance, childcare expenses, and other applicable considerations.
Complex Compensation & Financial Interests
Executive compensation, bonuses, equity awards, retirement assets, investments, trusts, inherited interests, and other less conventional assets or income.
Temporary Issues
Addressing financial arrangements, use of property, parenting arrangements, support, and other matters that may require attention while the divorce is pending.
Fees & Costs
Evaluating the financial circumstances and litigation decisions that may affect responsibility for attorneys' fees and costs.
Perspective
The objective is not simply to resolve the case. It is to resolve it well.
A divorce settlement is a collection of interrelated decisions.
A property proposal may affect cash flow. A decision involving a business may have tax or liquidity consequences. A parenting arrangement may affect support. A short-term compromise can have consequences that continue long after the case is over.
We look at those decisions individually and together.
That means understanding not only whether a proposed resolution can end the dispute, but what it is likely to mean for the client after the divorce is complete.
Understanding the financial picture comes first.
Before meaningful decisions can be made about property or support, the financial picture must be understood.
Depending on the case, that may require analysis of income, bank and investment accounts, real estate, retirement assets, liabilities, business interests, compensation arrangements, trusts, inherited property, or transactions that occurred during the marriage.
Some cases require relatively straightforward financial disclosure. Others require accountants, valuation professionals, or other experts.
The level of investigation should fit the issues at stake.
When a business is part of the family's financial life.
A closely held business or professional practice can affect nearly every financial aspect of a divorce.
Questions may include ownership, value, income, compensation, goodwill, distributions, retained earnings, business debt, and whether the company can continue operating without disruption while the case is pending.
The legal analysis is important. So is understanding how the business actually works.
When children are involved, the case is about more than a schedule.
Florida divorce cases involving children may require decisions about parental responsibility, timesharing, decision-making, holidays, travel, education, healthcare, extracurricular activities, communication, and the practical realities of raising children across two households.
The goal is not simply to create a calendar.
A parenting plan should provide enough structure to reduce unnecessary conflict while remaining workable for the family it governs.
Process
Not every divorce should be handled the same way.
Some matters can be resolved through direct negotiation. Others benefit from mediation or a collaborative process. And some disputes require the court to decide issues the parties cannot resolve themselves.
We do not believe the process should dictate the strategy.
The strategy should fit the matter.
Negotiated Resolution
When meaningful agreement is possible, focused negotiation can allow the parties to resolve issues without unnecessary litigation while still protecting the client's interests.
Collaborative Divorce
For clients who want to resolve their divorce outside the traditional litigation process, collaborative law provides a structured, confidential framework for reaching agreements with the assistance of trained professionals.
Litigation
When important issues cannot be resolved by agreement—or when the circumstances require immediate or decisive court involvement—we are prepared to litigate them.
Settlement requires perspective.
Most divorce cases resolve without a judge deciding every issue.
But reaching an agreement and reaching the right agreement are not necessarily the same thing.
Effective settlement requires understanding the available information, the governing legal framework, the costs and risks of continued litigation, and the practical consequences of the proposed terms.
It also requires knowing when compromise makes sense—and when it does not.
We prepare for settlement with the same attention to detail that we bring to litigation.
When litigation becomes necessary.
Court proceedings sometimes become necessary because of the issues involved, the positions being taken, or the need for judicial intervention.
When that occurs, preparation matters.
The strongest litigation strategy often begins well before trial—with disciplined discovery, careful financial analysis, thoughtful use of experts, focused motion practice, and a clear understanding of what actually needs to be proven.
Litigation is not the objective.
But when court intervention is necessary to protect a client's interests, we are prepared to use the process effectively.
After the case
A divorce ends. Its consequences do not.
The best legal strategy keeps both timelines in view: what needs to happen during the case and what life may look like after it.
That may mean preserving financial flexibility. Protecting the value of a business. Creating a parenting arrangement that can actually work. Understanding the effect of a proposed settlement before agreeing to it.
We help clients make those decisions with the benefit of preparation, perspective, and a clear understanding of what is at stake.
Start with a conversation.
Divorce presents different questions for every family. A consultation gives us an opportunity to understand your circumstances, identify the issues that may require attention, and discuss how we may be able to help.
813-254-37351011 North Armenia Avenue
Tampa, Florida 33607