Heather Quick, owner and attorney of Florida Women’s Law Group, talks through current economy & divorce. She covers high inflation and cost of living how it affects divorce and what you can do.
"Women Winning Divorce" is a radio show and podcast hosted by Heather Quick, CEO and Owner of Florida Women's Law Group. Each week we focus on different aspects of family law to help guide women through the difficult and emotional legal challenges they are facing. Heather brings over 20 years of law experience that advocates and empowers women to achieve happier and healthier lives. Join Heather each week as she discusses family law issues including divorce, custody, alimony, paternity, narcissism, mediation and more. This program was created to provide tips and insight to women with family law issues. It is not intended to be legal advice because every situation is different. Visit us at https://www.womenwinningdivorce.com/ for more resources. Text us at 904-944-6800 for a copy of Heather's Top 5 Divorce Tips. If you have questions or a topic you would like Heather to cover, email us at marketing@4womenlaw.com
Women Winning Divorce
Episode 45
The Current Economy and Divorce
Julie Morgan:
Welcome to Women Winning Divorce with your host Heather Quick. Heather brings over 20 years of law experience that advocates and empowers women to achieve happier and healthier lives. Each week we provide knowledge and guidance on different aspects of family law to help lead women through the difficult and emotional legal challenges that they are facing. Listen in as she discusses issues including divorce, custody, alimony, paternity, narcissism, mediation, and other family law issues, to provide insight on the journey of women winning divorce.
Welcome to the show. I'm Julie Morgan and I'm joined by your host, Heather Quick. Hi Heather. How are you today?
Heather Quick:
I am wonderful Julie. How are you?
Julie Morgan:
I am wonderful as well. It is always a pleasure to see you. So, today is a good day.
Heather Quick:
Yes, it is.
Julie Morgan:
Today we're talking about money.
Heather Quick:
Money, money.
Julie Morgan:
We’ve talked about money before, but I think this is more macro, I believe they say, the current economy and divorce, right? I mean, this is not news to anyone, but inflation is at an all-time high. How does that play into divorce?
Heather Quick:
Well, it impacts it, for sure. I think the last time we really had a boost is in the '80s, where we saw an economy like we have today. It will, I think it will significantly have an impact. Just for example, the cost of living adjustment from Social Security was 8.7% this year. If you look at it over time, that's one of the biggest jumps; it was 5.9% in 2021. So that is just an indicator that we are experiencing some inflation. And definitely, there has been a link between inflation, economic stress, and divorce.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah, when you think about the high cost of living, just going into the grocery store. And if this is something that you normally do, just to buy a gallon of milk, or a carton of eggs, it's going to cost you more.
Heather Quick:
Right. Yeah, there's gas, food, housing, just your basics. Financial stress and financial issues cause more stress in an already maybe stressful marriage. As we've talked, sometimes there is just that straw that breaks the camel’s back, it's not a single thing, but boy, that foundation isn't strong enough to take it.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah, I was thinking about that. We've talked about financial issues in a marriage before. If you want to listen to those shows, you can go to our website, womenwinningdivorce.com, to download, subscribe, and listen. Let's kind of revisit that just a little bit. Would you say that financial problems, that's possibly the number one reason people get a divorce, or at least it has to be up there at the top?
Heather Quick:
I would say it's really high in causes of divorce or leads to divorce. I think, remember we've talked about it before, in prior shows, it's just those financial habits, belief systems. Sometimes people never can really get on the same page, so then you have a stressor. Maybe also what you'll see is, it may keep you from getting divorced when you want it, and you're like, "how am I going to go find a place to live on my own," because the rents are going up so high. That may come into it and is it going to continue to rise? I don't know. I certainly don't have a crystal ball at all.
We all read what we read. Depending on the different areas where you live, things are affected differently, there's no doubt about it, or what jobs you have. I've seen a few headlines. There are areas that are growing now, of course, in employment, but there are areas that are not, and they’re laying off. That certainly does affect the marriage, and puts stress on it, and then makes you wonder, all right, is this a good time to divorce or not? I don't know that that is something that can even be answered, but from a financial standpoint, I think those are realistic questions that people ask.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah, exactly. And you mentioned the high cost of gas, food, housing, these everyday basics. And then, what if something happens to your spouse, and they lose their job? Again, unemployment, that's an issue now. All these things we are dealing with right now, and it has to have an effect on the family and divorce.
Heather Quick:
Absolutely. When we look at well is it the right time to get divorced? I don't know. He's doing great. His job's great, we live in a great area, but I want to be divorced. Well, while things are good economy wise, especially when you're looking at support, value of property, and things like that, if it allows you to maybe maximize what the two of you have, that might make it a good time. I mean, at some point obviously, everything cycles through, right? You can't predict that. But if you're saying, well, I don't know if it's a good time to divorce or not, it's like, well, if you want a divorce, you should probably get a divorce if you do not want to live with that person anymore. I'm not saying let the market readings dictate that. However, you're not really wanting to get divorced when he loses his job. That's not a good time.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah, and I was saying, I saw a headline yesterday that said that the Fed president in New York, John Williams, said that inflation... when actually unemployment reaches 4.5%, he knows that things are going well, and unemployment right now is at 3.7%. So we think about the fact that they continue to raise interest rates, the key interest rates, and you just never know what's going to happen. So if it's okay for you now, this may be the time.
Heather Quick:
Yes. I mean, I might as well say it, because if you were to come to me personally and ask me, that would be something I'd ask you to consider, for sure, absolutely.
Julie Morgan:
So when we think back to finances and what we have to look at, or what someone needs to look at whenever they're getting a divorce, what would you say... and I remember you saying that a Financial Affidavit is extremely important. That's something that you have to complete. And so that's one way to look at everything in one place.
Heather Quick:
Yeah, it essentially is a very detailed budget, as far as what it costs to run your life. Most of us are painfully unaware of how much really every single thing costs. So very helpful to understand that and look at it.
Julie Morgan:
So you have this Financial Affidavit, and not just look at one month, but I remember you saying, look at several months, and when we about inflation, that's a good idea.
Heather Quick:
Exactly, and particularly now, you realistically need to look at what this is costs. Because when we look at support, and things that relate to the kids, it's going to have quite a relevant impact. So if you aren't usually the one who's going to the gas station, or grocery store, look at those bills, because things are increasing.
Julie Morgan:
So that could be step one for someone who does not normally do the bills, who does not normally look at the credit card statement, and just is the spender. You say, okay, take a step back, look at what everything costs right now.
Heather Quick:
Yes. There is really not a downside to that, because you need to know, you ought to know. As women, we really ought to know, and we ought to start taking more responsibility for what we do know and what we don't know in our own lives. As you know Julie, because we've talked about these situations, there are situations where there are various types of abuse going on, and that is not where you really are specifically prevented from gaining that knowledge. But many, many times, there are still ways to get that information and become informed, and begin to start taking some control over what you even have knowledge of. That's a good place to start, which you can do by listening to this, and trying to figure out how much things cost to run the household, just empowering yourself with the knowledge of what's going on in the economy.
Julie Morgan:
And something I think would be interesting, when we're talking about high inflation and the rising cost of living, if you do have access to this, think about looking at the statement from this month, and then looking at the statement from a year ago, and checking out the difference.
Heather Quick:
That's a great idea. It allows you, again, that comparison, that’s a good way to understand. Also, look at the value of your house now, and maybe what other places on your street for last year, because certainly in the Florida market, it's most likely higher, just to do with supply and demand. So that could be good news; that's why it's not all bad. But again, and it's not good or bad; it's information.
Julie Morgan:
That's exactly what I was thinking. It's being informed, and that is what this process is really all about; making sure that you stay informed.
Heather Quick:
Yes, and as women, and as a law firm that specifically helps women and women only, it's important to me to say that, to understand and educate yourself, because nobody else is responsible for your knowledge except you. Nobody else is really responsible for your actions, but you. I think that we, as women, have to take the initiative, and understand what's going on, what is going on in our household, what's going on with our property, find out. You have a right to know, and you ought to educate yourself to the best that you can. There's all kind of resources and help out there, and we help women with that all the time. I mean, it's during the divorce, but it's still things that are important, and you're the only one who can do it for yourself.
Julie Morgan:
I wonder how much of a shock it is for some women when they come in and they realize how much it takes to run a household now, especially now. I wonder how big of a shock it is for some people.
Heather Quick:
I think for many it is. The other day, I was just like, "Wow, cereal sure is expensive. I don't think it was always $6 a box," or, "Were our trash bags always $10," you know? And yeah, recognizing that. Also, with that, with the class of living, and if there are financial stressors or issues within your household, let's say you are the one who does do the grocery shopping and things, maybe your husband doesn't really understand the difference from six months ago, a year ago and say, "I'm not out there buying more stuff; this is the cost." I think that's always good, helpful information, because you may just say, where's all the money going? Well, food, and gas, and things like that. So I think that is worthwhile information to attain for yourself.
Julie Morgan:
You know what, I didn't even think about that. It's worthwhile information for you, and also for you to let him know as well, just in case he's questioning things, asking where is this going, because, well, it's going right here to the house, but it just costs more.
Heather Quick:
That will allow for an opportunity to have the conversation, because if you're buying the same stuff but it's now 10%, 15% more than it was a year ago, but the income remains the same, okay, those are decent conversations that don't need to attach blame to one person or the other, although they may. But you can have a clearer understanding of what's going on, which may provide an opportunity to have a better discussion about what do we need to do. Maybe we need to change jobs, get better jobs, do something different.
Julie Morgan:
Those money talks I'm sure are difficult to have. You're listening to Women Winning Divorce with Heather Quick, owner and attorney of Florida Women's Law Group. Today's topic is The Current Economy and Divorce. When we return, we're going to talk about how the current economy affects divorce; stay with us.
Welcome back to Women Winning Divorce with Heather Quick, owner and attorney of Florida Women's Law Group. Today's topic is The Current Economy and Divorce. So we've talked about the economy, how much does it cost to just buy a carton of eggs, right? It's a lot. It's a lot more than it was a year ago. Yes, that's household matters, right? But then you say, okay, I want this to end. We're talking about divorce, let's talk about real estate. I mean there's a lot of money in real estate.
Heather Quick:
There is, for sure.Obviously in different markets, I think it was in the 2000s, when they were like, the real estate bubble broke. Well, it took a while for it to happen here. In this general area, and I think in many coastal areas in the Southeast, it didn't happen as fast as it did other places, but it certainly did. We have seen, specifically in Florida, a huge increase because of what's just been going on in the world. I think it's steadied a bit now in this area. However, the prices are up, which can be good if you have equity in your home. That's a much better problem to have than when everybody's upside down in their house, because then, that's just tough. That was something that happened in the 2000s thereafter, and it just made it really hard for people to get out of houses.
The interest rates are also high, but many times, after selling a home and a divorce, you ought not buy right away, because this is a big transition of your life. Maybe it's a little better to rent for a little bit, try to save that money, maybe invest it, and give yourself some time. You know what I thought when you were like, things cost more than they did a year ago? It just reminds me of, if we were talking to our grandparents; well things cost more now than they did 20 years ago. Every year, things cost more, right? So that is kind of the way things go. Sometimes, I do think there's just so much like, "Oh, it's inflation!" Well, it's not like this has never happened before, and things cost more to produce, and things just rise all over.
And frankly, I have seen a lot of wages rise as well, and that's just going to depend on what area. But I think if you have that opportunity where your house, that value has gone up significantly, which most of us have seen, maximize on that. There's always a way to say no to everything, even something that could be a positive. Well, I can't. Imagine just renting," why not? Maybe that's the right thing to do for a short period of time, to figure it out. So I don't think that's horrible.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah, the housing bubble was between 2006 and 2008 is when we had the housing bubble. But I like the way that you switch the narrative, right? So sure, interest rates are higher than they were even earlier this year, approaching 7% as far as buying a home is concerned. But okay, you have more equity in your house, so why not?
Heather Quick:
Right, like glass half full or glass half empty. There are opportunities, and if that is an opportunity... generally your home is an investment, but it's your home. But during a divorce, it's just an asset that's going to need to be divided. To me, if it makes sense, everybody's situation is different. That's why you really do need a lawyer who can help you understand your overall financial picture to see, does this make sense for me, for our family, would that work out? So that's, I think really where that evaluation should be done. I'm not telling everybody to go sell their house, but look at the part of it that is positive as truly positive, at this point.
Julie Morgan:
That's interesting. Again, switching the narrative, thinking about it in a different way. Yes, your house is a home, but if you are talking about divorce, it's an asset.
Heather Quick:
Yes.
Julie Morgan:
Mm-hmm, that's interesting. So someone also may say, well, she said... of course, this is not for everyone, but rent is going up everywhere as well. So you're going to have me... you're saying to go rent, and then I'm going to pay even more money? But again, think about what you want your life to be.
Heather Quick:
Exactly. One thing, many people say, I don't want to sell. Well, that may not be your choice, and that may not be something within your control. So let's be clear on that, that's not always the way it's going to go down. And I really do. I have heard it for many years, "Oh my goodness, how could I ever rent?" What is wrong with that? Give yourself an understanding of where you want to be. Just like when you move to a new city, it's like, "Well, I'll just go buy." That may not be really where you want to live; you're not that familiar. I mean, yes, you have roots in a community, and you know generally where you want to be. But that is not a bad word, especially if you're getting out of a house. There's so many new lovely apartments that have amazing amenities, that you could rent for a year, to allow yourself the opportunity to look for something that makes sense for you. That's all I am saying. It doesn't have to be a negative. It really doesn't.
Julie Morgan:
And that sounds to me like you're saying, put off that really big decision, and do something just a little bit different.
Heather Quick:
Yes. When you're in this transition period of having to make a lot of decisions in your divorce, having gone through a lot of changes, give yourself some time, and look at that as this is probably right for me right now. Rather than committing to a place, because I feel like I have to rush to make a decision, take on a mortgage, take on a property that may or may not have a lot of problems, but I'm making such a quick decision. Interest rates are high, so why don't you wait? I mean, at least a little bit. Just give yourself a period of time to make a rational decision, that has a little bit more long term effects, which buying something does. I'm certain we've talked about that, making big decisions during this time. Well, that might not be the best thing at this moment for you.
Julie Morgan:
So right now, just giving the listeners options, there are options out there. Yes, there's high inflation, okay. We've talked about real estate. Real estate is an asset, that's an asset that will possibly, probably need to be divided between you and your spouse, if you're choosing to go in this route of... take this route of divorce. So it's an asset, look at it that way. Then you may decide that you want to rent instead of making the big decision to buy something. Another asset; investments. We've talked about investments in retirement accounts. I told you, I don't think anybody should get my retirement money, but we're not going to talk about that. We're not going to go there today. But that's just-
Heather Quick:
That's why I'm going to do your prenup Julie, don't you worry.
Julie Morgan:
Oh my goodness. Okay. Yes. So investments, that's an asset in retirement accounts. But we think about interest rates in the market... excuse me. The market is having a big effect on those retirement accounts. So why not try to take what's there now?
Heather Quick:
Well, exactly, right. Moving it over, exactly. There's reasons, again, to capitalize on things worth capitalizing on, and being strategic, which we've talked about before.
Julie Morgan:
Again, thinking about this in a different way, thinking about the positives and not the negatives.
Heather Quick:
Yes.
Julie Morgan:
Mm-hmm, I like the way you think, Heather, because I... and I know I'm not alone here; I will probably think about the negative. I will think about, "Oh no, the interest rates are between 6% and 7%. Oh no, there's no way." But don't think about it that way; try to find that light.
Heather Quick:
That is correct, think about it in a positive way. Again, that is within your control, how you choose to view it. If you're not sure, well what could be the positive, then get some advice on what could be the positive side of this, maybe from somebody a little bit outside, who's objective can help you.
Julie Morgan:
Yes. Tell me this, is there a calculation... I think I already know the answer to this question because I feel like I've asked it before. Do they calculate inflation whenever they calculate alimony, or, excuse me, spousal support, or even child support, do they?
Heather Quick:
No, you know they don't. You know that gets me fired up, Julie, when you ask these questions, because they don't do that, and they don't reevaluate it and calculate anything based on the cost of milk, and raising a teenage boy who's 15, and eating you out of house and home, no, they don't.
Julie Morgan:
Okay. Heather, I think you need to go to Tallahassee or Washington, and make it happen.
Heather Quick:
Yeah, I will add that to my list. I don't know if I'll add that to my goals, but I'll add it to my list, Julie. It's easier to sit here and talk to you about how much I don't like it instead of take action, but you're right, I am listening.
Julie Morgan:
It really does it seem like that is something that should be done, because like you said before, we think about our grandparents, 20 years ago they said, "Oh, the price of milk is higher today;" this is the way things work. So since we know this is the way it works, it should be there.
Heather Quick:
It should, and I do think that that with alimony, because that is what your needs are, which are based on the Financial Affidavit. Child support is not calculated in that way, and it should be adjusted. I mean, there's an opportunity for the judge to do it, but it doesn't happen very often. So alimony does account for your needs, because they've increased, but child support does not. More people receive child support only, than those who receive alimony and child support.
Julie Morgan:
Okay. So is it possible to petition the judge, or go back to my lawyer and say, "Hey, think about this. This is what's happening here. It's really costing even more to raise our children." Can I go back to the drawing board and ask for more money?
Heather Quick:
That's going to be particular to your case, but it's worth a conversation, and worth really looking at the numbers, for sure. Because where there can be an issue as well, if he doesn't have any more money, if his income has not increased, that may not be a viable option. And you might not, well you won't know that. But you should at least inquire and see.
Julie Morgan:
Okay. So, let's say, as we've talked about already, we have inflation, things are going up. If someone is in this situation and they're looking at their wallet, and they're saying it's just not stretching as far as it used to, is this something that you could possibly help them with?
Heather Quick:
Yes, we do. We help people when they want to modify child support and/or alimony. So absolutely, those are things that are worth discussing with a lawyer, because then at least you have a better understanding of what's possible.
Julie Morgan:
Okay. So making sure that you understand that options are out there, that is one good reason to call an attorney.
Heather Quick:
Indeed, it is
Julie Morgan:
Because you may not even... you, as in the client, you may not truly understand everything that's part of this process. And so, that's what the lawyer is there for.
Heather Quick:
Correct, to give you the understanding, because you understand your facts and circumstances, but how does the law apply to your facts and circumstances? What will that result be?
Julie Morgan:
And so you could possibly take them through some scenarios as well, definitely.
Heather Quick:
Absolutely.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah. So this is not something that you should try to handle on your own.
Heather Quick:
I would say no. I mean, you know me, I'm never going to suggest you go into court on your own, and it depends on the relationship with your ex. But I don't know if you say, "Hey, pay me some more money." If they do it, go for it, take it. But that's not been my experience, because I see everybody who that answer is no.
Julie Morgan:
You're listening to Women Winning Divorce with Heather Quick, owner and attorney of Florida Women's Law Group. Today's topic is The Current Economy and Divorce. When we return, we're going to talk about more things you can do to help you get through it all. Stay with us.
Welcome back to Women Winning Divorce with Heather Quick, owner and attorney of Florida Women's Law Group. Today's topic, The Current Economy and Divorce. So Heather, what are some of the things that we can do to try to get through all of this? We've talked about how inflation is what it is, but we try to find a bright spot. But should this really deter you if you're unhappy?
Heather Quick:
No, I think that this is just something to be aware of. We talk about so often, and we talked about at the beginning of the show, educating yourself. I'm just saying, there are a lot of positives right now that I can see in the economy, like we talked about, that if this is something you want to do, maybe this is a good time. I mean, we talk to women all the time about that, this is an opportune time to file for you. Where you might have a strategy, this might strategically help you now versus waiting six months. But at the end of the day, you're making this decision. But certainly, talk to an attorney, and maybe a financial planner who has a good understanding of the divorce process and how that works. I mean, both of those things are great ideas that can, again, help you make that decision.
Julie Morgan:
And you know what I just thought about; in the future, it may not be the economy, so that's another speed bump. So you just never know. Talk to a professional and see what your options are.
Heather Quick:
Correct. And just like when we talked about in a previous show, about goal-setting, outcomes, there are many reasons that we can choose not to do something, but there are also an equally amount of reasons to do something. So, it's really getting that full information, so that you can make a decision. Maybe there will be a downturn in the economy. Who knows, somebody will flip a switch and our house prices double; I don't know. And most people don't really know, it's just taking into account where you are now, and what future do you want.
Julie Morgan:
I have a question, should you try to get a financial planner regardless anyway, so you can have a real understanding of things?
Heather Quick:
I think that can be very helpful. Certainly, if you have a financial planner, you and your spouse, I mean that's your money too. You should be able to have a conversation with them individually to educate yourself and understand. I don't see anything wrong with that. I think the more you educate yourself, this was something that an advisor of mine told me once, regarding tax as well. He said, "You should be an educated consumer, and you should educate yourself on what they need to be doing for you. Don't just rely blindly on advice.” That goes for an attorney as well; educate yourself to be an educated consumer, because it's our responsibility. I know we all get advice from professionals, whether it's a doctor, a lawyer, an accountant, a financial planner. How often really do we go and do our own research, and ask good questions?
I mean, it depends on what the conversation's about. If it's with your doctor about some potentially life-threatening thing, you probably do your research and get some other opinion. But maybe we don't treat all the other things with such care, as far as just being an educated consumer. That is something that I work on too. I want to be educated when I make the decisions, not blindly just taking advice. I'm going to take the advice, but then it needs to be advice that works for me, and I understand the implications, and the pros and cons.
Julie Morgan:
Again, it all goes back to making sure you have the information that you need to make the best decision possible.
Heather Quick:
Exactly.
Julie Morgan:
Okay. So again, what can you do to get through all of this? Look at your assets. And we just talked about earlier in the second segment, we talked about a few assets that you have. But in previous shows, we've talked about a lot of your assets, right?
Heather Quick:
Yes.
Julie Morgan:
And so think about how they're going to increase.
Heather Quick
Right, and if you're comparing apples to apples for, say, cash compared to cash, but 401(k) compared to cash, it's not the same, that's apples to oranges. Or real estate versus a rental property, or a timeshare, which really doesn't have any value. But that's something that really people get very hung up on, because they're tied to probably family vacations and a lot of memories. But maybe they do. There might be one that does. But either way, you want to understand, and that you may not really know that. That's something that we definitely use accountants and experts for many times, because without getting too complicated, you might say, these are all listed out on Zillow and equal X, and so they're equal. Okay, well that's not an expert opinion. However, it can be a starting point, just to give you some information.
But really, where there's a lot of hidden value, many times is tax returns. Particularly if you have multiple properties and holdings, you need to have a more detailed analysis. So that you really understand where the benefits are in the properties, and the assets.Know what they really are worth, and what those values are. So that's just a little bit. I know we've talked about it certainly before in other shows, and they're going to be particular based on your situation, but that also works with businesses. What's the value of a business, or what's the income? So, the asset analysis is very, very important in a divorce.
Julie Morgan:
Okay. Now Heather, you brought up another one of those frequently asked questions, this time, it was about timeshare. Last week you mentioned airline miles. And again, I'm telling y'all, that was a good show about the frequently asked questions. You have to listen to this show. It's at womenwinningdivorce.com; listen, download, subscribe. But that was another question we did not get to, was about timeshare. So again, to be continued, yeah.
Heather Quick:
To be continued, but right, there are things that have some value, you just have to figure out what. Is it money? Is it just there's emotional ties? Then, what is going to be the cost of dividing them up, or how are we going to do it? Sometimes, selling things, and this is not the right way to look at anything financial, but doesn't feel like you're getting the value out of it, if that makes sense. A lot of those assets that may not have a lot of dollar value, or may have a lot of dollar value, sometimes assets have a lot of feelings attached to them on both sides. That is something that we look at.
I want to talk about this because many times, it's very common to collect gold coins, or silver coins. With the idea that those are really always going to stay the same value or appreciate. Sometimes people overlook that and those should never be overlooked as they can be very, very valuable assets.
Julie Morgan:
Yeah, actually I just read a story yesterday about gold, so definitely look it up, yeah.
Heather Quick:
I will look it up.
Julie Morgan:
You just-
Heather Quick:
We'll put it in the show notes.
Julie Morgan:
You just never know. I'm all about the financial stuff Heather, you have no idea.
Heather Quick:
Oh, I am getting an idea. I am getting a glimpse of the real Julie.
Julie Morgan:
So let's say, you know what, you've come to the conclusion that, hey, I may not be able to get away. Is sticking around, staying together, is it really an option?
Heather Quick:
There are always options, Julie. One option is do nothing, all right? And just be honest that that's the option you're taking. Be honest with yourself first but be honest. Many times, yeah, you say, you know what? I have to wait this out. I don't think I can make it, although I think that you just might need to be creative on your ability to earn, or live and what you're sacrificing. And that's an individual choice; certainly that is possible. I think that most people, if they think they can work it out, they do and they try. They certainly do. Then I think once they realize, this isn't ever going to change, because he won't change, or I won't change, whatever it is, then you really have to just rip the band-aid off. Just do it.
Julie Morgan:
Mm-hmm. I like the way you said, "To get creative," because if this is something that you really want, you may need to do that. Think about multiple sources of income in order to make it work, right? Bring out that creativity.
Heather Quick:
We can choose to say, what is at least known to you. I'm not going to say comfortable, although it is comfortable, because you know what you're getting. Or we might have to go put ourselves out there. We really live in a world of an amazing amount of opportunity, particularly in this country. And with access; pretty much everybody has so much access to everything. I'm just amazed. I'm amazed at the sources of income that people can earn by being creative, and coming up with something they have to offer that can be sold, and yes, through the internet. There's just a lot of opportunity that I see every day, and I'm thinking, "That is amazing." Who knew there was somebody out there that is selling this particular service, or doing these things, or getting advertising money for doing their makeup on Instagram, or TikTok?
Opportunities are endless if you want it enough. I do believe that, I believe that for all of us. When we really want something, we figure out a way to make it happen. Life is so short. The quality of our life, and the quality of our relationships are what we remember the most. Living miserable makes other people miserable. I think we owe the world more than that, than to walk around as a Scrooge, or a Grinch.
Julie Morgan:
Mm-hmm, yes, indeed. So something that... let's say, we have to stay in the same home together. You could possibly help with something that we talked about before that I was shocked that this even existed; a post-nuptial.
Heather Quick:
Yes. I mean that takes both parties agreeing to it, but it's certainly an option. It's a very smart way to outline in the event of a divorce. So, absolutely.
Julie Morgan:
Or separating. But in Florida, is there a need for legal separation?
Heather Quick:
No, Florida doesn't have legal separation, therefore, you do have to be careful if you think that separating, there's not really any legal protection. You definitely need to talk to an attorney about either one of those, so that you, you know what you're getting into, and you're not thinking, I am legally separated, I'm protected, but you're not. So that's important ,for sure. Because Florida doesn't recognize a legal separation, unless you draw up a document. That may or may not be the right way to go. That is for people who are relatively amicable, and being like, we know what we need to do. Then that's a wonderful way to go. So again, there are creative options. There are things that can be done to get you through this time, but yet still allow you to look towards the future.
Julie Morgan:
We have just a few more seconds, Heather, any parting words?
Heather Quick:
Well, once again, if you are listening, and this is resonating with you and you are looking for legal advice, we are here to help you at Florida Women's Law Group. We also ask that you share this episode with anybody that you might know that might need to hear this, or send them our way so that we can help them understand, and give them clarity on their particular situation and what options are available for them.
Julie Morgan:
All right Heather, I'll see you next time.
Heather Quick:
Thank you so much, Julie.
Julie Morgan:
Thank you for listening to Women Winning Divorce. We hope you found information to help you navigate your divorce. If you like our show, please take the time to subscribe and provide a five-star review. If you need more information, please visit our website at womenwinningdivorce.com, where you will find previous episodes and other helpful content. Join us next week as we continue our journey of women winning divorce.