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Pazos Law Group South Florida Divorce & Family Law

Fort Lauderdale Divorce Attorney

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

Fort Lauderdale divorces often involve waterfront homes, yachting and marina assets, business interests, and substantial marital estates. Pazos Law Group represents Broward County clients in divorce, child custody, and complex family law matters.

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Divorce in Fort Lauderdale: An Overview

Fort Lauderdale is the seat of Broward County and a center for finance, marine industries, and corporate executives. Divorces in Fort Lauderdale frequently feature waterfront properties, yacht and marina assets, business ownership, and complex compensation structures common to corporate and finance professionals.

Why Local Experience Matters

Fort Lauderdale cases often turn on valuation of substantial homes and unique personal property, careful handling of business interests, and parenting plans that work across the realities of executive schedules.

Family Law Services for Fort Lauderdale Residents

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

Where Your Case Is Heard

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

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 Fort Lauderdale Divorces

Marine industry, yachts, and the Intracoastal

Fort Lauderdale is the “Yachting Capital of the World” with the second-largest superyacht industry in the United States after only the West Coast. Divorces in Fort Lauderdale commonly involve vessels of substantial value (recreational sportfishers to mega-yachts), marina memberships and slip rights, dock leases on the Intracoastal Waterway, charter-business interests, and marine industry employment (brokers, captains, marine engineers, yacht designers). Vessels acquired during the marriage are marital property under Fla. Stat. § 61.075; valuation requires specialized marine appraisers.

Within Fort Lauderdale

Divorces commonly involve residents of communities such as Las Olas Isles, Rio Vista, Bay Colony, Coral Ridge, Coral Ridge Country Club, Harbor Beach, Idlewyld, Sunrise Key, Sailboat Bend, Victoria Park, Tarpon River, and the high-rise corridors along Las Olas Boulevard and along the New River. Waterfront property issues — submerged-land leases granted by the Florida DEP, dock permits, riparian rights — routinely appear in division of the marital estate.

Main Broward Courthouse

Fort Lauderdale family law matters are heard at the main Broward County Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale — the seat of the 17th Judicial Circuit. The main courthouse handles all family law matters including dissolution petitions under Fla. Stat. § 61.052, parenting plan modifications under Fla. Stat. § 61.13, alimony under Fla. Stat. § 61.08, and post-judgment enforcement. The Broward County Clerk of Courts also operates a Self-Help Family Court Service Center for pro se litigants.

Initial case management conferences and uncontested final hearings are commonly assigned to general magistrates under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.490. Magistrate recommendations are subject to exception within 10 days. The 17th Judicial Circuit operates one of Florida’s most active mediation programs under Fla. Stat. § 44.404.

International community

Fort Lauderdale’s international community — Brazilian, Argentine, Italian, British, German residents are common — produces divorces with foreign assets, dual citizenships, and child custody questions across borders. The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (1980) governs cross-border parenting disputes between signatory countries. FBAR and FATCA disclosures apply to foreign accounts.

Equity compensation and corporate executives

Fort Lauderdale has a substantial concentration of corporate headquarters and financial services. Executives often hold equity compensation (RSUs, ISOs, NSOs, deferred-comp plans). The marital portion is calculated using the time-rule fraction (Jensen v. Jensen, 824 So. 2d 315 (Fla. 1st DCA 2002)). Federal tax treatment under IRC §§ 83, 409A, and 422 affects valuation timing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are Fort Lauderdale divorce cases heard?

Fort Lauderdale and all Broward County divorce cases are heard in the 17th Judicial Circuit of Florida at the Broward County Courthouse, 201 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale.

Are yachts and waterfront properties marital assets?

Vessels, marina rights, and waterfront properties acquired during marriage are generally marital assets subject to equitable distribution. Each requires careful valuation and consideration of carrying costs, maintenance obligations, and titling.

Can I divorce in Florida if my spouse lives in another state?

Yes, if you have lived in Florida for the six months before filing. Florida can dissolve the marriage based on your residency. Jurisdiction over property, support, and children outside Florida may require additional analysis.

Do you handle complex, high-asset divorces in Fort Lauderdale?

Yes. Many Fort Lauderdale divorces involve complex asset division — yachts, vessels and waterfront property, closely held marine and hospitality businesses, executive and equity compensation, and international assets. These cases often need vessel and business valuation, forensic accounting, and marital/non-marital tracing under Fla. Stat. § 61.075. See our high-net-worth divorce practice for how complex Fort Lauderdale estates are divided.

Also Serving Broward County

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

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

Divorce in Fort Lauderdale: Yachting Wealth & the Marine Economy

Fort Lauderdale — the “Yachting Capital of the World” and the seat of Broward County — mixes waterfront estates and downtown high-rises with a large marine and hospitality economy. Divorces here frequently involve vessels and waterfront property, which become significant marital assets to appraise and divide, and income tied to the marine, real-estate, and tourism industries that can be seasonal or partly commission-based. Business owners and professionals are common, making valuation and income normalization key. Because the county’s family court sits here, familiarity with local judges and mediators is a practical advantage. Fort Lauderdale cases are filed in the 17th Judicial Circuit (Broward County), at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale.

Speak with a Fort Lauderdale Family Law Attorney

Pazos Law Group offers confidential consultations for Fort Lauderdale clients in divorce, child custody, and complex family law matters.

Schedule a Confidential Consultation

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.