It is well-known that doctors (and medical professionals as a whole) put forth a lot of studying, time, effort and energy toward their work in order to restore and heal bodies. What many people do not know is that (perhaps due to their non-traditional schedules and stress), doctors have some of the highest rates and likelihoods for divorce.
Doctor’s Divorce Lawyers Hollywood, Florida
According to the National Review of Medicine, medical professionals have a divorce rate of 29 percent in the United States, with physician divorces at 50 percent and surgeons at 33 percent. While a divorce involving a doctor can raise the same concerns and processes as any other divorce, there are often unique considerations to factor in when determining the distribution of assets, alimony and parenting plans of a doctor’s divorce. Thus, a divorce lawyer for doctors is necessary to handle the unique divorce issues properly.
Common Issues in Doctor’s Divorce
Spousal Maintenance
Spousal maintenance (or alimony) is a common issue in a doctor’s divorce, as it is in any high-asset divorce. When there is no prenuptial agreement or any other document to outline how the marital property will be distributed, divorce courts will consider the following:
- The income of both spouses
- The expenditures of both spouses
- The doctor’s ability to pay alimony
- The receiving spouse’s financial position (i.e. is he/she able to self-provide/return to a sense of normalcy after the divorce?)
Practice Valuation
Practice valuation involves the appraisal and/or calculation of a medical professional’s assets. In other words, accountants will look into the years that a medical professional has practiced, any research that he/she has published, and his/her contributions to the medical field. After weighing these factors, professionals can determine how much a medical professional is worth. This number helps to determine how assets and property should be distributed between the spouses.
Debts
One of the most common issues that are raised in doctor’s divorces is the distribution of debts. Because doctors require extensive education and training, they often accrue thousands of dollars in debt. Further, the doctor’s spouse may have been responsible for holding the family together financially while the doctor was in school.
Parenting Time & Child Support
If there are children involved in a doctor’s divorce, the process can become more complicated. Because the schedule of medical professionals is already non-traditional and taxing, it can be difficult to arrange concrete time-sharing arrangements or even to determine which spouse will have sole custody over the child(ren). In some cases, child support may be necessary to ensure that the children have everything that they need and/or that they are able to live a life that is as close to the life that they had before the divorce. You should rely on divorce lawyers to make the appropriate decision for the well-being and health of the children.
Time & Disclosures
Divorces can take a major toll on medical professionals. A divorce may impact the doctor’s literal, physical and mental ability to work effectively. Divorce lawyers at the Law Offices of Theodore H. Enfield, P.A. understand the time constraints of doctors, as well as the unstructured demands that they are expected to adhere to in order to save lives. As a result, our firm is willing to work with your schedule and protect your practice by being discreet, adaptable and sensitive to your unique needs.
Contact Experienced Divorce Lawyers in Hollywood, FL
A doctor’s divorce can be scary. Not only are the doctor’s assets and practice at risk, but there is a possibility for his/her reputation and character to also be compromised during the process. In order to protect your assets and estate during a divorce, you should contact an experienced divorce lawyer. At the Law Offices of Theodore H. Enfield, P.A., located in Hollywood Florida, our divorce lawyers are well-versed in doctors’ divorces. We proudly serve many doctors in the Hollywood, FL, and South Florida region.
Do not allow your many years of education and service to the community to be threatened because of a divorce. Contact our law firm today for a free initial consultation.