When your marriage ends, you face two paths: settle reasonably or litigate aggressively. Your spouse's attorney already knows which path they're taking. Do you?
Experience Matters More Than Marketing
Any attorney can advertise "family law." Few have tried contested custody cases before Miami-Dade judges who've heard every argument. Fewer still have defended clients in both family court and criminal court when domestic violence allegations arise during divorce proceedings.
Twenty-eight years of trial experience means I've seen your spouse's strategy before it unfolds. High-conflict divorce follows patterns—hidden assets, parental alienation, false domestic violence claims, strategic bankruptcy filings. Opposition believes these tactics are clever. They're not. They're predictable.
The difference between attorneys isn't education. It's pattern recognition. I know which judge responds to which argument, which opposing counsel actually prepares for trial, and which "aggressive" tactics backfire in Miami family courts.
High-Conflict Divorce Requires Strategic Defense
Some divorces resolve through mediation. Others become warfare. When your spouse weaponizes the legal system—filing for protective orders to gain custody leverage, hiding marital assets in offshore accounts, or coaching children to make false allegations—you need an attorney who's defended against these tactics for decades.
High-conflict divorce isn't about who's "right." It's about evidence, cross-examination, and knowing when opposing counsel is bluffing about trial. Most family law attorneys avoid trial. Prosecutors and opposing counsel know this. When they know your attorney won't fight, settlement negotiations collapse.
I've tried family law cases for 28 years. Opposition knows I'll go to trial. That knowledge changes everything—from discovery responses to settlement offers. When they know you're prepared for trial, reasonable settlements follow.
Child Custody: Where Preparation Wins
Florida courts prioritize the child's best interests. Every custody attorney claims to understand this standard. Few actually know what "best interests" means to the specific judge hearing your case.
Custody litigation isn't about parental rights speeches. It's about school records, medical decisions, parenting time documentation, and witness credibility. Judges have heard every parent claim the other is "unfit." What matters is evidence—and knowing which evidence this judge finds persuasive.
I've handled custody battles involving parental alienation, relocation disputes, substance abuse allegations, and domestic violence claims. Each case requires different evidence, different witnesses, and different arguments. Generic custody strategies lose. Targeted preparation wins.
Complex Asset Division: Following the Money
High-net-worth divorce requires forensic investigation. Business interests, retirement accounts, real estate portfolios, offshore holdings—opposition will hide what they can. Your attorney needs to know where to look and how to compel disclosure.
Equitable distribution sounds fair. In practice, it's combat. One spouse claims separate property. The other argues marital. Someone hid assets. Someone undervalued the business. Someone transferred funds before filing. Standard discovery doesn't find these issues. Strategic discovery does.
I've handled property division in divorces involving multimillion-dollar marital estates, complex business valuations, and contested equitable distribution trials. Opposition hides assets. We find them. Then we litigate.
The Dual Practice Advantage: Family and Criminal Defense
Domestic violence allegations frequently arise during divorce proceedings—sometimes legitimate, often strategic. When your spouse files for a domestic violence injunction, you face two simultaneous legal battles: one in family court affecting custody and timesharing, another potentially resulting in criminal charges.
Most family law attorneys don't handle criminal defense. They'll refer you to another lawyer, creating coordination problems and conflicting strategies. My practice encompasses both family law and criminal defense—providing integrated protection when allegations cross both courts.
This dual expertise matters. I know how domestic violence allegations in family court affect criminal proceedings, and vice versa. I know when prosecution will actually file charges versus when allegations are leverage for custody negotiations. This knowledge protects both your parental rights and your freedom.
What to Look for in a Miami Divorce Attorney
Trial Experience: Has this attorney actually tried contested divorce cases, or do they settle everything? Judges and opposing counsel know the difference.
Local Knowledge: Family law is local. Miami-Dade judges have different temperaments, different priorities, and different evidentiary standards. Your attorney should know them.
Strategic Thinking: Divorce isn't about "winning." It's about protecting your assets, securing custody or reasonable timesharing, and positioning yourself for post-divorce life. Your attorney should think strategically, not emotionally.
Realistic Counsel: Attorneys who promise guaranteed outcomes are lying. Every case depends on facts, evidence, and judicial discretion. The right attorney tells you what's possible, what's probable, and what strategy maximizes your position.
The Cost of Choosing Wrong
Divorce mistakes are permanent. Custody orders last until your child turns 18. Property division is final. Alimony obligations continue for years. The wrong attorney doesn't just cost money—they cost you outcomes that can't be undone.
Your spouse already retained counsel. Their timeline began. Every day you wait gives them strategic advantages—first-filed motions, temporary custody arrangements, exclusive use of marital property. The question isn't whether you need an attorney. It's whether you need one who's actually prepared for what's coming.
If you're facing divorce in Miami, particularly high-conflict divorce involving custody disputes or complex assets, contact the Law Office of Bolivar C. Porta at (305) 371-5060. Twenty-eight years of trial experience means I've seen your spouse's strategy before. Let's discuss yours.