Tequesta & Hobe Sound Divorce Attorney

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

Tequesta, Jupiter Island, and Hobe Sound form a north Palm Beach / south Martin County corridor known for ultra-private wealth. Jupiter Island specifically is among the wealthiest small communities in the United States. Divorces here are characterized by privacy, complex trust holdings, and multi-county jurisdiction considerations.

Divorce in Tequesta & Hobe Sound: An Overview

This corridor spans two counties — Tequesta (ZIP 33469) sits in northern Palm Beach County, while Hobe Sound (33455) and Jupiter Island (33455) are in Martin County. Jupiter Island in particular has long been one of the most private and exclusive enclaves in the country, with median home values among the highest in Florida. Divorces in this corridor often involve:

• Ultra-private clients who require careful media and disclosure management
• Generational wealth held through layered trusts and family offices
• Oceanfront and Intracoastal estates with limited comparables for valuation
• Multi-state or international tax considerations
• Jurisdictional questions if spouses live across county lines (Palm Beach vs. Martin)

The two counties have different circuit courts. Palm Beach County is in the 15th Judicial Circuit; Martin County is in the 19th Judicial Circuit. The case is filed in the county where the parties last lived together (or where the petitioner resides, in some cases). Choosing the correct venue at filing matters.

Family Law Services for Tequesta & Hobe Sound Residents

Pazos Law Group represents clients in Tequesta & Hobe Sound across the full spectrum of family law matters that tend to arise in high-asset households:

• High-net-worth divorce — Equitable distribution of complex marital estates, business interests, deferred compensation, retirement accounts, and offshore holdings.
• Business owner divorce — Valuation of closely-held businesses, treatment of partnership interests, and structuring buyouts.
• International divorce coordination — Where parties or assets are outside the United States, including coordination with foreign counsel.
• Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements — Drafting and enforcement under Fla. Stat. § 61.079.
• Child custody and time-sharing — Parenting plans addressing private school placements, international travel, and security.
• Mediation and collaborative divorce — Confidential settlement processes that keep financial details out of public court filings.

Where Your Case Is Heard

15th Judicial Circuit for Tequesta (Palm Beach County) and 19th Judicial Circuit for Hobe Sound (Martin County). Mediation is required in nearly all contested cases before a final hearing can be set.

Specific Considerations for Tequesta and Hobe Sound Divorces

Quiet northern Palm Beach + southern Martin County corridor

Tequesta is the northernmost municipality in Palm Beach County, sitting just south of the Martin County line. Hobe Sound, immediately to the north in Martin County, is one of South Florida’s most established and discreet communities — with substantial concentrations of business families, established professional households, and a quiet coastal residential character. Divorces in Tequesta and Hobe Sound commonly involve established marital homes often held for decades, significant retirement portfolios, family trust interests, marine assets (the Loxahatchee River and Jupiter Inlet provide direct ocean access), and multi-generational property holdings.

Within the area

In Tequesta, divorces commonly involve residents of Tequesta Country Club, the Cape Cod-style residential neighborhoods along Country Club Drive, the riverfront properties along Tequesta Drive and Loxahatchee Drive, and the older established homes throughout the Village center. In Hobe Sound, divorces commonly involve residents of the Jupiter Island enclave (one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in Florida), the historic Hobe Sound village center, and the residential corridors along Bridge Road and SE Federal Highway.

Jurisdictional considerations — two judicial circuits

Tequesta is in Palm Beach County (15th Judicial Circuit) while Hobe Sound is in Martin County (19th Judicial Circuit). For couples whose residences straddle the county line, or who have moved between counties during the marriage, the choice of venue can matter for case management, judicial preferences, and mediator pools. Fla. Stat. § 47.011 governs venue selection.

Loxahatchee River and Jupiter Inlet waterfront

Tequesta and Hobe Sound waterfront properties have specific considerations: riparian rights on the Loxahatchee River (which is a federally-designated Wild and Scenic River), dock permits from the Florida DEP and from the South Florida Water Management District, submerged-land leases for properties on the Intracoastal, and marine industry employment for the active Jupiter Inlet boating community.

Retirement-account allocation

The Tequesta/Hobe Sound area has a substantial concentration of established retirees with significant retirement portfolios accrued through long careers. 401(k), 403(b), and pension plans are divided by Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) under ERISA § 206(d)(3) and IRC § 414(p). IRAs are divided under IRC § 408(d)(6). Many residents hold rollover IRAs combining multiple prior-employer plans; tracing pre-marital vs. marital portions requires careful documentation.

Family trust interests

Hobe Sound residents in particular commonly hold beneficial interests in long-established family trusts. Florida’s Trust Code is at Fla. Stat. ch. 736. Distributions received during the marriage may be treated as income for alimony purposes under Fla. Stat. § 61.046(8) even where the corpus remains non-marital.

Privacy

The Jupiter Island and Hobe Sound enclaves include nationally recognizable names from business and finance. Privacy is a frequent concern. Florida divorce filings are public records under Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.420 unless an exception applies. Mediation under Fla. Stat. § 44.404 (confidential under § 44.405) and motion practice to seal financial affidavits under § 2.420 are routine strategies for high-asset cases.

Worked Example: Jupiter Island Multi-Generational Divorce

Sample case. Both spouses early 60s, married 30 years, three adult children. Husband’s family wealth came from a 1970s real estate development business sold in the 1990s; he’s now retired but holds interests in several family trusts. Wife runs a small equine business based out of their Jupiter Island estate. Marital assets include: oceanfront Jupiter Island home ($22M, paid off, titled to a marital trust), Tequesta secondary home ($3.4M near Tequesta Country Club), 80-acre Hobe Sound equestrian property with 12-stall barn and training facility, husband’s trustee interest in two multi-generational family trusts, $4.1M combined retirement, $1.8M joint brokerage, and substantial art and collectibles.

Key issues this fact pattern raises:

• Pre-marital family trusts. Property held in properly-administered pre-marital irrevocable trusts is generally non-marital under Fla. Stat. § 61.075(6)(b). The forensic question is whether trustee administration during the marriage commingled or enhanced trust property with marital effort.
• Long-marriage alimony. 30-year marriage is well into long-term under Fla. Stat. § 61.08 as amended by SB 1416. Durational alimony available up to 75% of marriage length = up to 22.5 years.
• Equestrian business valuation. Wife’s equine operation has specific valuation considerations: bloodlines, broodmare and yearling inventory, training contracts, boarding income, and barn improvements. Equine industry specialists are typically retained for valuation.
• 80-acre equestrian property. Hobe Sound land with active equestrian operations has both real-estate value and going-concern business value. Separately appraisable: bare-land comparable, business-as-operating-asset, or combined-package value.
• Art and collectibles. Auction-house estimates differ from insurance valuations and from fair-market liquidation values. Florida courts typically use fair-market liquidation for divorce valuation under Fla. Stat. § 61.075.
• Privacy. Jupiter Island and Tequesta divorces typically prioritize privacy. Mediation under Fla. Stat. § 44.404 is confidential under § 44.405; the standard path is to resolve substantive issues in mediation and file a brief marital settlement agreement that doesn’t enumerate sensitive specifics.

Settlement is the expected outcome — the cost and privacy exposure of contested litigation almost always exceed any disputed economic delta in this profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I file if I live in Hobe Sound but my spouse lives in Tequesta?

Florida venue rules generally allow filing in the county where the petitioner resides or where the parties last lived together. Tequesta is in Palm Beach County (15th Circuit); Hobe Sound is in Martin County (19th Circuit). The choice can have strategic implications based on the judges, mediator availability, and procedural rhythms of each circuit.

How do I protect my family's privacy in a Jupiter Island divorce?

Privacy is preserved most effectively through pre-suit planning and settlement via mediation. Court filings are public by default, so settling before contested filings expose financial details is the most reliable path. Limited circumstances allow sealing of specific documents.

Is Florida residency easier or harder to establish in these towns?

The 6-month residency requirement under Fla. Stat. § 61.021 applies the same way regardless of town. Common documentation: Florida driver's license, voter registration, homestead election, and primary-residence designation. Seasonal residents may need a corroborating witness.

How is trust-held real estate treated in divorce?

Real estate held in a trust where one spouse is a beneficiary is treated differently than directly-owned real estate. The beneficiary's interest is generally non-marital, but trust distributions and appreciation may be marital depending on facts. Tracing is critical.

My spouse and I both live on Jupiter Island. Can the case be heard in Martin County?

Yes. Both Hobe Sound and Jupiter Island are in Martin County (19th Judicial Circuit), so a case where both spouses reside on Jupiter Island would typically be filed in Martin County.

Also Serving Nearby Communities

Related Reading

• High-Net-Worth Divorce in Florida — Complete Guide
• Florida Equitable Distribution Explained
• Divorce for Business Owners in Florida
• Hidden Assets in a Florida Divorce

The information on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Florida family law is fact-specific. Reading this page does not create an attorney-client relationship with Pazos Law Group.