Meeting with a divorce attorney in Tampa can feel like one of the hardest appointments you will ever make. Many people tell us they lose sleep the night before because they are not sure what to bring, how honest to be, or what exactly will happen once they sit down in the conference room. That uncertainty can make an already emotional time feel even heavier.
You are likely trying to balance a lot at once, from worrying about your children and your home to trying to keep day-to-day life running. A Tampa divorce consultation can cut through some of that noise, but only if you know how to use that time well. With a bit of preparation, the first meeting can shift from a source of dread to a focused planning session where you leave with more clarity than you had walking in.
At Harris, Hunt & Derr, P.A., we have built our family law practice around that first conversation. Our Tampa firm has been rated Tier 1 in Family Law by U.S. News Best Law Firms and recognized as some of the “Best Divorce Lawyers in Tampa,” and we keep a limited caseload so we can give each consultation the attention it deserves. In this guide, we share how we approach a Tampa divorce consultation and what you can do before you arrive so that the meeting truly moves you forward.
Contact our trusted divorce lawyer in Tampa at (813) 223-5421 to schedule a confidential consultation.
Why Your Tampa Divorce Consultation Matters More Than You Think
Many people think of a divorce consultation as a quick meet and greet, or as a moment to “see if we like each other.” In reality, that first meeting often sets the tone and direction for your entire case. It is usually the point where your questions start to turn into a concrete plan and where we begin to identify the legal issues that will matter most under Florida law.
In Florida, a divorce typically moves through several broad stages. There is a petition to dissolve the marriage, a response, an exchange of financial information, and then some combination of negotiation, mediation, and, in a smaller number of cases, trial. Your Tampa divorce consultation helps us understand where you are in that arc, what may need immediate attention, and what long-term strategy makes sense for your situation.
Some people arrive expecting exact answers to big questions, such as “What will I receive in the divorce?” or “How much will this cost from start to finish?” At the consultation stage, what we can provide instead is a grounded sense of your options, the range of possible outcomes, and the key factors that influence them. For example, Florida follows equitable distribution, which means marital assets and debts are divided fairly, not always 50/50. The first meeting is when we start to identify which assets and debts appear to be marital, which appear to be nonmarital, and where there may be disputes.
If you have children, we also begin to talk about Florida parenting plans and timesharing. A parenting plan is the document that addresses how major decisions will be made for your children and how time will be shared between households. We will ask questions that help us understand your children’s routines and needs so we can give meaningful feedback about what a realistic plan might look like, even though precise schedules will be worked out later.
Our Protection Without Destruction® approach also shapes this first conversation. We focus on protecting your financial security and your relationship with your children while looking for ways to avoid unnecessary conflict when that is possible. The consultation is where we start to understand your goals on both fronts, so we can talk honestly about which paths are most likely to protect what matters most to you.
What We Typically Cover In A Tampa Divorce Consultation
Knowing what we will talk about can make the consultation feel less intimidating. We treat that time as a structured strategy session, not a loose, open-ended chat. Most consultations follow a similar flow, although we always adjust based on urgency and your specific concerns.
We usually begin with a brief overview of your situation. We will ask about when and where you were married, how long you have lived in the Tampa area, whether either of you has filed anything in court, and whether you or your spouse has met with other attorneys. This gives us a framework to place the rest of the information you share and to confirm basic jurisdiction issues.
From there, we move into the core facts about your family and finances. If you have children, we will ask about their ages, schools, health, and current living arrangements. We will want to understand who handles which parts of their daily life and what has been working well or poorly. On the financial side, we will ask about your income, your spouse’s income, major assets like homes and retirement accounts, and any significant debts. Even ballpark figures are valuable at this stage because they help us spot potential property and support issues.
We will then talk about your goals and concerns. Short-term issues often include questions like “Can I stay in the home for now?” “How will bills be paid in the meantime?” and “What should I be doing today to protect my credit or access to funds?” Long-term goals might involve where you want to live, your career plans, or the kind of co-parenting relationship you hope to have in the future. These goals guide our discussion of options for settlement, negotiation, and, if necessary, litigation.
During the consultation, we also introduce key Florida concepts in plain language. Equitable distribution, parenting plans, timesharing, and potential spousal support are common topics. We explain how Florida courts generally approach these issues and which facts in your case will influence them, without suggesting that any particular outcome is guaranteed. In many cases, this is the first time clients hear how the law actually works in practice, not just what friends or the internet have told them.
Most Tampa divorce consultations last about an hour, and we work to prioritize the most urgent issues first. If there are immediate safety concerns, such as domestic violence or threats, or pressing financial issues, such as accounts being closed or funds being moved, we address those quickly. Our aim is that you leave the consultation with a clear picture of your situation, your legal options, and the likely next steps, not with a list of unanswered questions.
The Documents That Make Your Tampa Divorce Consultation More Productive
You do not need to arrive with a briefcase full of paper for your consultation to be useful. However, certain documents can significantly improve the level of detail we can provide about your options. Bringing targeted, organized information allows us to spend more of our time together on strategy instead of guesswork.
Financial documents are especially helpful. If you can, gather your last three years of federal tax returns, recent pay stubs for you and your spouse, and the most recent statements for bank accounts, retirement accounts, and investment accounts. Tax returns help us see income patterns, bonuses, and whether there are any closely held businesses. Pay stubs give us a current snapshot of income and deductions. Account statements help us understand what assets exist, whether they appear to be marital, and whether there are any concerning transfers.
Information about real estate is also useful. A recent mortgage statement, property tax bill, or even a copy of a closing statement, if you still have it, gives us a starting point for discussing equity in the home. If you rent, a copy of your lease or a note of the landlord’s information and monthly rent is helpful. For clients who own a business or receive income from a partnership, we may not be able to analyze everything at the first meeting, but basic documents such as a recent profit and loss summary or K 1 can flag issues that will matter later.
If any written agreements affect your finances or relationship, such as a prenuptial or postnuptial agreement, bring a copy if possible. Reviewing those early helps us determine how much of your property division is shaped by contract and how much will follow Florida’s equitable distribution rules. If you do not have a copy, even a written summary of what you remember the agreement saying is better than nothing for the initial discussion.
We do not expect you to have every single document in hand. Sometimes a spouse controls most of the paperwork or online account access. If that is your situation, bring what you reasonably can and make notes about missing pieces, such as “Spouse handles all bank accounts, I see only paycheck deposits,” or “I know we have two retirement accounts, but I do not have logins.” Those notes still give us useful context. Because our firm works collaboratively, the information gathered at your Tampa divorce consultation may later be reviewed by more than one attorney in our team, especially in high asset cases, so focused documentation now helps us develop a thoughtful strategy sooner.
Information About Your Children and Daily Life: We Will Ask About
For parents, questions about children are often the most emotional part of the consultation. We understand that you may be worried about how divorce will affect your children, and you may also be concerned about what you say being misinterpreted. Our questions are designed to understand your children’s daily lives, not to judge your parenting.
We usually start with basic information: your children’s ages, schools or daycare, health issues, and any special needs. Then we ask about their routines. Who gets them ready for school, who takes them to activities, who helps with homework, and what their evenings and weekends typically look like. This helps us see the real pattern of caregiving, which is important when discussing future parenting plans.
Under Florida law, parents typically use a parenting plan that sets out how major decisions will be made and a timesharing schedule that describes when the children are with each parent. Instead of focusing on labels like “custody,” we focus on the details that affect your children’s stability, such as school nights, transitions between homes, and holiday traditions. During the Tampa divorce consultation, we may discuss common timesharing arrangements and how courts often view factors like consistency and each parent’s involvement.
It can help to think ahead about what has been working for your children and what has been difficult. If one child is struggling in school or therapy, or if there have been conflicts around pick-ups and drop-offs, mention those examples. If your work schedule or the other parent’s schedule is unusual, such as shift work or frequent travel, we will want to understand that as well. Specifics help us tailor our guidance to your family rather than offering generic suggestions.
Our Protection Without Destruction® approach is especially important when we talk about children. We aim to protect your relationship with them and their sense of security while avoiding unnecessary conflict that can harm them. At the consultation, we look for ways to keep communication about the children as calm and structured as possible, even if the rest of the relationship is strained. Being candid about your concerns, including any safety issues, helps us advise you on both immediate steps and longer-term planning.
How To Organize Your Story So We Can Give Better Advice
Your story matters. At the same time, the way you present that story in the consultation affects how much we can accomplish in the time we have together. When emotions are high, it is natural to jump from one painful event to another. Our job is to help you turn that history into information that can support a clear legal strategy.
One of the most helpful things you can do before a Tampa divorce consultation is to prepare a short written timeline. This does not need to be formal. A simple list with dates and key events is enough. Include when you met and married, major moves, job changes, the births of any children, significant financial events like buying or selling a home, starting a business, or receiving a large inheritance, and any serious incidents that changed the relationship.
We recognize the emotional weight behind those events, and we will give you space to share what you are going through. At the same time, organizing your story around dates, decisions, and documents allows us to quickly identify legal issues such as whether an asset is likely marital or nonmarital, when a pattern of financial control began, or whether there may be grounds for seeking temporary support. Specific examples, like “In 2018, my spouse took over all bank accounts, and I lost access to online statements,” are much more actionable than general statements like “They have always controlled the money.”
It is also useful to write down your top concerns and goals before you come in. Separate short term concerns, such as “I need to know if I can stay in the house for the next few months” or “I need guidance on how to handle joint credit cards,” from long term goals, such as “I want to be able to retire on schedule” or “I want a parenting plan that keeps the kids in their current school.” When you share those goals with us, we can prioritize our discussion and explain how different options may affect them.
In the age of smartphones, many people arrive with hundreds of text messages, emails, or social media screenshots. Those can be important evidence, but they are difficult to review meaningfully in a first meeting. Instead of forwarding everything, note a few key examples and the general pattern they show, like “Frequent late-night messages while intoxicated” or “Repeated threats to cut off money.” We can then talk about the best way to preserve and organize that material later. Because we manage a limited caseload, we can invest time in reviewing well-prepared materials after the consultation, and your efforts to organize your story help us do that efficiently and thoroughly.
Questions To Ask At Your Tampa Divorce Consultation
A consultation is not only about us asking you questions. It is also your opportunity to find out whether our firm is the right fit for you and to understand how the process will work if you decide to move forward. Coming in with a written list of questions helps you make the most of that time, especially when emotions are running high.
Process questions are a good place to start. You might ask who will work on your case day to day, how communications are handled, and how quickly you can typically expect responses to emails or calls. At Harris, Hunt & Derr, P.A., we use a collaborative team approach, so you may interact with more than one attorney or team member. The consultation is the time to learn how that team will coordinate on your behalf and who your primary points of contact will be.
You should also ask about cost structures in clear, practical terms. Common questions include how the retainer works, what the billing rate covers, and how you will receive invoices. A retainer is usually an initial deposit held in a client trust account, from which fees are drawn as work is done. We can discuss how preparation, organization, and your responsiveness can help manage costs over time, although we cannot quote exact total costs because they depend heavily on the other party and the complexity of the case.
If minimizing conflict matters to you, ask how our Protection Without Destruction® approach might apply in your situation. You can ask how often cases resolve through negotiation or mediation rather than trial, and how we balance the desire for a calm process with the need to protect your rights. These questions help you understand whether our philosophy aligns with how you want to move through this chapter of your life.
Finally, ask about the likely next steps after the consultation. For example, what will happen if you decide to hire the firm, what additional information will be needed, and what the first few weeks of work typically look like. Having a sense of the roadmap, even in general terms, can significantly reduce anxiety. We want you to leave the consultation feeling that you know what will happen next and what you can do in the meantime to protect yourself and your family.
Common Missteps Before A Divorce Consultation and How To Avoid Them
We regularly see patterns in how people prepare for, or react to, the idea of divorce, and some of those patterns make the consultation and the case harder than they need to be. Knowing these common missteps in advance can help you avoid them and arrive at your Tampa divorce consultation in a stronger position.
One frequent issue is arriving with no financial information at all and expecting detailed advice about property division or support. We can always have a productive conversation about your situation, but without at least basic information about income, assets, and debts, our guidance must remain broad. Bringing even approximate numbers or partial documentation, as described earlier, allows us to give more tailored feedback that matches your reality.
The opposite problem also happens. Some clients come in with stacks of unsorted papers, unprinted screenshots, and long email threads, hoping we will sort everything on the spot. The concern behind that approach is completely understandable, but it can overwhelm the limited time we have in the consultation. A better approach is to bring a focused packet of the most recent and representative documents and to flag additional materials for later review once we are engaged.
Another misstep is using the days before the consultation to send angry texts, emails, or social media posts to your spouse about “taking everything” or “winning in court.” Those messages can escalate conflict and may later be used as exhibits that complicate your position. Before your consultation, try to keep communication with your spouse as brief and practical as possible, particularly when children are involved. If you are unsure what to say or not say, write down your concerns so we can discuss them at the meeting.
Some people also hold back during the consultation because they are worried that what they say could get back to their spouse. Conversations with an attorney about seeking legal advice are generally protected by attorney client privilege, which means we cannot disclose what you share without your permission, subject to narrow exceptions that we can explain. Being candid about the good and the bad aspects of your situation allows us to give realistic advice and avoid unpleasant surprises later.
Finally, many people walk into a consultation expecting to walk out with a guarantee. We will always be honest about the strengths and challenges we see in your case, and we will explain how Florida law tends to treat similar situations. What we cannot do is promise a specific outcome, such as a particular parenting schedule or an exact share of an asset. The purpose of the consultation is to start building a well-informed path forward, not to offer quick fixes, and recognizing that distinction can reduce disappointment and confusion.
What Happens After Your Tampa Divorce Consultation
Knowing what comes next can decide to schedule a consultation less daunting. The steps after your Tampa divorce consultation depend on your readiness and the specifics of your situation, but there are common patterns that can help you understand what to expect and how your preparation will pay off.
If you decide to move forward with our firm, we will talk through the formal steps to begin representation. That typically includes signing an engagement agreement that explains the scope of our work and the financial arrangements, arranging for a retainer, and outlining the immediate tasks on both sides. Those tasks might include gathering additional documents, preparing a draft of the petition for dissolution of marriage, or beginning the process of financial disclosure, which commonly occurs in Florida divorce cases.
The information you provided in the consultation becomes the foundation for a more detailed strategy. Because we work collaboratively at Harris, Hunt & Derr, P.A., your file may be reviewed by more than one attorney to ensure we are seeing your situation from multiple angles, especially in complex or high asset matters. We refine our approach based on your goals, the financial and parenting facts, and the likely responses from the other side, always keeping our Protection Without Destruction® philosophy in view.
If you are not ready to file right away, the consultation can still be valuable. You may leave with a list of steps to take over the coming weeks or months to protect your position, such as gathering certain records, adjusting how bills are paid, or documenting parenting responsibilities. In that sense, the consultation can function as a roadmap, giving you a better sense of timing and options even if you choose to wait before beginning a case.
Whatever your next step, our goal is that you leave the consultation feeling more informed, more supported, and less alone in the process. A well-prepared Tampa divorce consultation will not solve everything in a single meeting, but it can give you the clarity and confidence to move from fear toward a deliberate plan.
Take The Next Step Toward A Thoughtful Tampa Divorce Consultation
Preparing for a divorce consultation in Tampa does not require you to have every answer or every document. It simply means gathering key financial information, thinking carefully about your children’s daily lives, organizing your story into a clear timeline, and arriving at honest questions about the process and goals. Those efforts give us the tools to turn our first meeting into a meaningful strategy session rather than just another stressful appointment.
At Harris, Hunt & Derr, P.A., we focus our Tampa family law practice on protecting clients’ financial and familial interests while striving to avoid unnecessary destruction whenever that is possible. If you are considering divorce, or you know a case is coming, and you want to be ready, we invite you to schedule a Tampa divorce consultation so we can sit down together, review your situation, and begin planning a path forward that fits your life.
Call (813) 223-5421 to schedule a consultation with our trusted divorce lawyer in Tampa.