Davie Divorce Attorney

By Nadia Pazos, Family Law Attorney, Pazos Law Group · Updated May 2026

The Town of Davie, in central Broward County, is home to families, equestrian communities, and the Nova Southeastern University area. Pazos Law Group represents Davie residents in divorce, child custody, and family law matters.

Divorce in Davie: An Overview

The Town of Davie blends suburban family neighborhoods with equestrian-friendly properties and the academic community around Nova Southeastern University. Divorces in Davie typically involve home and equity considerations, sometimes equestrian or agricultural property, and parenting plans for school-age children.

Davie is distinctive among Broward County cities for its preserved equestrian heritage and substantial agricultural acreage alongside dense suburban residential development. The town is home to Nova Southeastern University (Florida's largest private research university), Broward College's central campus, and several professional graduate programs — producing a unique demographic mix of equestrian families, university faculty, healthcare professionals, and middle-class working households. Divorces in Davie often involve equestrian property (horses, barns, riding facilities), pension benefits accrued through long careers in education or healthcare, and inheritance issues for multi-generational Florida families.

Within Davie, divorces commonly involve residents of communities such as Imagination Farms, Long Lake Ranches, Stonebrook Estates, Forest Ridge, Hawks Landing, Riverstone, Whispering Pines, and the rural-residential corridors west of Flamingo Road. Each has distinct property profiles — from ranch-style horse properties to gated suburban communities — that affect equitable distribution analysis under Fla. Stat. § 61.075.

Why Local Experience Matters

Davie cases occasionally involve unusual asset types — horses, agricultural property, equestrian-related businesses — that require specialized valuation and equitable distribution analysis alongside the more typical issues.

For Davie families with significant equestrian operations, divorce introduces unique asset categories: livestock (valued separately from real property), specialized equipment (trailers, riding gear, tack), boarding contracts and stud agreements, breeding rights, and equestrian competition winnings. These do not fit neatly into standard family-law forms and require careful drafting in the equitable distribution settlement. Florida courts treat horses and other livestock as personal property under Fla. Stat. § 61.075, but valuation requires specialized appraisers familiar with the equestrian market.

For Davie's university-affiliated families, divorces commonly involve Florida Retirement System (FRS) pension benefits for K-12 educators, university retirement plans (TIAA, Fidelity) for higher-education faculty, and 403(b) plans common in nonprofit healthcare settings. The marital portion of these is calculated using the coverture-fraction approach under Boyett v. Boyett, 703 So. 2d 451 (Fla. 1997).

Family Law Services for Davie Residents

Pazos Law Group represents Davie clients in the full range of family law matters:

• Divorce — contested and uncontested dissolution of marriage under Florida law.
• High-Net-Worth Divorce — complex marital estates involving businesses, real estate, equity compensation, and international assets.
• Child Custody & Time-Sharing — parenting plans, modifications, and relocation cases.
• Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements — drafting, review, and enforcement.

Where Your Case Is Heard

Davie divorces are heard in the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Family Division, at the Broward County Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale.

Davie-Specific Divorce Considerations

Davie is the only Broward municipality with explicit equestrian zoning, and it has more horse properties — over 2,500 documented equine parcels — than any other South Florida city. Equine assets in divorce raise valuation issues most attorneys never encounter. The horses themselves are personal property under Florida law, but their value depends on bloodlines, competition history, training investment, and breeding potential. USEF (United States Equestrian Federation) registration, microchip records, and discipline-specific appraisers (hunter/jumper, dressage, western, polo) are often required for accurate valuation.

Davie’s agricultural and equestrian-zoned parcels are appraised differently than standard residential property. Properties of 2.5+ acres may qualify for Florida’s greenbelt agricultural classification, which dramatically affects tax basis and equitable distribution calculations. Improvements specific to equine use — barns, paddocks, riding rings, run-in sheds — need separate functional appraisal because they don’t contribute proportionally to residential market value.

Many Davie marriages involve professional couples connected to Nova Southeastern University (the largest private employer in Broward) or Memorial Healthcare System. NSU faculty appointments come with deferred compensation, retirement plan particulars, and intellectual property considerations that affect the marital estate. Memorial Healthcare physicians face specific issues with practice equity, partnership buy-ins, and non-compete clauses that intersect with divorce settlements.

Davie cases are heard in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Family Division, at the Broward County Courthouse in downtown Fort Lauderdale — roughly a 20-25 minute drive via I-595. The 17th Circuit has a dedicated family law division with judges who handle complex high-asset matters, including equine and agricultural property cases that originate in Davie. The Broward judiciary also operates an active mediation program that many Davie cases utilize before litigation.

About Pazos Law Group

Pazos Law Group is a South Florida family law firm founded by Nadia Pazos, who has practiced since 2005 and is licensed in both Florida and New York. Nadia holds the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell — the highest peer rating for attorneys — and has been recognized by Super Lawyers Rising Stars, Avvo Client’s Choice, Lawyers of Distinction, AIFLA, and National Advocates. The firm serves clients in English and Spanish throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties.

Specific Considerations for Davie Divorces

Equestrian properties and livestock

For divorcing couples with horses, boarding operations, or riding facilities, Florida courts apply Fla. Stat. § 61.075 to allocate the property. Specific issues include: valuation of breeding stock (typically requires an equestrian-specialized appraiser); allocation of stud contracts and breeding rights; boarding revenue from third-party horses; transferability of show registrations (USEF, FEI); and the marital portion of competition winnings during the marriage. The marital home with attached acreage often must be valued in two parts — the homesteaded structure and surrounding curtilage versus the additional acreage used for equestrian operations.

Florida Retirement System (FRS) pensions

Many Davie residents work in education (Broward County Public Schools, Nova Southeastern, Broward College) and qualify for FRS pension benefits. The marital portion is calculated using the coverture fraction from Boyett v. Boyett, 703 So. 2d 451 (Fla. 1997) — years of marriage during employment divided by total years of service. FRS allows direct deposit allocation through an Income Deduction Order accepted by the FRS administrator, separate from the QDRO process used for private 401(k) plans.

Inherited property and family lands

Davie's older neighborhoods include multi-generational Florida families whose property has passed through inheritance. Property received by gift, devise, or bequest is non-marital under Fla. Stat. § 61.075(6)(b), but appreciation during the marriage that results from marital effort or marital funds is marital. The classification often requires careful tracing.

Equal time-sharing presumption

Florida's 2023 amendments under SB 1416 establish a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing serves the child's best interests (Fla. Stat. § 61.13(2)(c)). For Davie families with school-age children, the presumption starts the analysis but the 20 best-interests factors in § 61.13(3) can rebut it. School-zone considerations (Davie has several highly-rated schools including Davie Elementary, Indian Trace, and Western High) often influence the parenting plan even within an equal-time framework.

Closely held businesses and professional practices

Davie has a substantial concentration of healthcare professionals (Memorial Healthcare System, NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine), independent veterinarians (consistent with the equestrian community), and small-business owners. Closely held interests are valued by a qualified business appraiser under AICPA SSVS No. 1. Personal goodwill is non-marital under Thompson v. Thompson, 576 So. 2d 267 (Fla. 1991); enterprise goodwill is marital.

Frequently Asked Questions

Also Serving Broward County

Pazos Law Group represents clients throughout Broward County. Other locations we serve:

• Fort Lauderdale Divorce Attorney
• Hollywood Divorce Attorney
• Miramar Divorce Attorney
• Pembroke Pines Divorce Attorney
• Plantation Divorce Attorney

Related Reading

• How Much Does a Divorce Cost in Florida in 2026?
• How Long Does a Divorce Take in Miami-Dade?
• Florida Alimony: The 4 Types After 2023 Reform

Prefer to settle out of court? Learn how divorce mediation in Davie works under Fla. Stat. § 61.183 — usually faster, private, and far less expensive than a contested trial.

The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading or sharing this content does not create an attorney-client relationship with Pazos Law Group. Florida law and the application of statutes change over time; please consult a licensed Florida attorney about your specific situation.