Orlando Divorce Lawyers | Contested Divorce Attorneys in Orange County

When your marriage ends in Orlando, the legal landscape can feel overwhelming—especially if you’re facing a contested divorce with significant assets, children, or a spouse unwilling to cooperate. At Fairway Law Group, our Orlando divorce attorneys move fast, fight hard, and put strategy first. With our office conveniently located at 722 W Smith St in Orlando, we represent clients throughout Orange County in complex, high-stakes family law matters.

Why Orlando Divorces Require Local Expertise

Filing for divorce in Orange County means navigating not just Florida’s family law statutes, but also local court rules and procedures specific to the Ninth Judicial Circuit. One of the most critical documents you need to understand is the Orange County Standing Temporary Order for Dissolution of Marriage Actions—a comprehensive court order that takes effect immediately upon filing and governs your conduct throughout the divorce process.

Most people going through divorce in Orlando don’t even know this order exists until they’ve already violated it. That’s a costly mistake. Our attorneys know this standing order inside and out, and we ensure our clients understand their obligations from day one.

Understanding the Orange County Standing Temporary Order

The moment you file for divorce in Orange County, or the moment you’re served with divorce papers, the Standing Temporary Order becomes binding. This isn’t something you can ignore or claim you didn’t know about—the Clerk of Court provides it with the petition, and ignorance of its terms won’t protect you from sanctions.

This order was created by the judges in the Domestic Relations Division to promote stability during divorce proceedings, reduce emergency hearings, and most importantly, protect children and preserve marital assets while cases are pending. It covers everything from parenting obligations to financial restrictions, and violations can result in contempt proceedings, monetary sanctions, or worse.

Shared Parenting Requirements: What Orlando Courts Expect From Day One

Florida law presumes that shared parental responsibility is in children’s best interests, and the Orange County Standing Order reinforces this from the start. The order mandates that both parents immediately work out their own timesharing schedules, with each party having substantial overnight timesharing on a regular basis until a formal parenting plan is entered.

What many parents don’t realize is that restricting the other parent’s access to the children without valid reason can be used against them when the court determines the final timesharing arrangement. The order explicitly states that a parent who unreasonably restricts access and doesn’t encourage a relationship between the children and the other parent “is not acting in the child(ren)’s best interests and is not following the law.”

This puts immediate pressure on both parties to cooperate on major parenting decisions. You can’t unilaterally decide to change your child’s school, move them out of their current school zone, or take them out of the country without written agreement from the other parent or a court order. These restrictions exist to maintain stability for children during an already turbulent time.

The standing order also requires both parents to complete a Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course within 45 days. The Petitioner’s deadline runs from the filing date; the Respondent’s deadline runs from service. Failure to complete this course can result in dismissal of your case, striking of pleadings, or other sanctions. It’s mandatory even in uncontested cases.

Child Support Obligations Start Before You Think

One of the most financially significant provisions in the standing order addresses child support. Many people assume they don’t need to pay child support until a judge orders it. Wrong. The order makes clear that child support is generally required from the date of separation—which is almost always before the petition was filed.

This means if you have a support obligation under Florida’s child support guidelines, you should be making voluntary payments immediately to avoid building up an arrearage. Waiting for a court order can be extremely expensive because when support is finally ordered, it will be retroactive to separation. Our Orlando divorce lawyers help clients calculate their likely support obligation early and structure voluntary payments to protect against costly arrearages.

Asset Protection: Don’t Touch What You Shouldn’t

The standing order contains strict provisions about how you can handle marital assets during your divorce. You cannot conceal, damage, dispose of, or dissipate any asset—whether marital or nonmarital. You can’t add mortgages to real estate, stop maintaining property, or fail to care for assets.

Vehicles stay with whoever regularly used them before filing. You can’t hoard or waste jointly-owned funds except for necessities of life. While you can spend your income on ordinary personal and family affairs, any use of marital funds after separation must be justified as reasonable and necessary.

Insurance policies in effect when the petition was filed cannot be terminated, modified, allowed to lapse, or borrowed against without written agreement or court order. Joint credit cards can’t be cancelled, though the order strongly urges parties to stop using them except for absolute necessities as a last resort. If you use joint credit after separation, expect to justify every charge.

These provisions exist to preserve the marital estate for equitable distribution. Violating them can result in the court charging you with dissipated assets, reducing your share of the marital estate, or imposing monetary sanctions payable to your spouse.

Financial Disclosure: The 45-Day Deadline

Florida Family Law Rule 12.285 requires extensive financial disclosure in dissolution cases, and the standing order reinforces this requirement. Within 45 days of service of the initial pleading on the Respondent, both parties must file an accurate and complete Financial Affidavit and exchange comprehensive financial documents.

This isn’t optional. The rule requires tax returns, pay stubs, bank statements, credit card statements, retirement account statements, and much more. Failure to comply can result in your documents being excluded from evidence, monetary sanctions, or other penalties. Our Orlando attorneys ensure our clients meet these deadlines and provide complete, accurate financial disclosure to avoid sanctions and strengthen their negotiating position.

Mandatory Mediation and the Meet-and-Confer Requirement

Orange County requires mediation before you can schedule hearings on temporary relief or set your case for trial. The court expects multiple mediation sessions in complex cases to reach agreements both parties understand and accept.

The standing order also imposes a meet-and-confer requirement before filing most motions. This means parties or their attorneys must have an actual conversation—not just exchange emails or texts—to try to resolve issues before asking the court to intervene. Every Notice for Hearing must include a certification that this meet-and-confer occurred.

This reflects the court’s preference for settlement and its expectation that parties will cooperate rather than litigate every minor dispute. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators who know when to push for resolution and when litigation is unavoidable.

Self-Representation: Why It’s Usually a Bad Idea

The standing order contains an entire section urging parties to hire competent counsel, acknowledging that “dissolution cases are complicated and technical.” It warns self-represented parties that judges, judicial assistants, and clerk’s office employees cannot give legal advice, and that self-represented parties will be held to the same rules of law, procedure, and evidence as attorneys.

If you’re facing a contested divorce in Orlando—especially one involving substantial assets, children, or a combative spouse—attempting to represent yourself puts you at a serious disadvantage. The standing order doesn’t change just because you don’t have a lawyer. You’re still bound by every provision, still required to comply with complex discovery rules, and still expected to present admissible evidence according to technical procedural rules.

Why Fairway Law Group for Your Orlando Contested Divorce

At Fairway Law Group, we focus primarily on contested divorces. These are the cases where emotions run high, stakes are significant, and strategic representation makes the difference between a fair outcome and a devastating one. We represent business owners, executives, professionals, and other clients with complex financial situations throughout Orlando and Orange County.

Our Orlando office handles divorces involving:

• High net worth and contested divorces where significant assets are at stake
• Complex property division including businesses, professional practices, investments, and real estate
• High-conflict custody disputes where parents can’t agree on timesharing or major decisions
• Child support and alimony battles requiring detailed financial analysis
• Enforcement and modification of existing orders when circumstances change

We know the judges in the Orange County family law division. We know their procedures, their preferences, and their expectations. We understand the standing temporary order and how to use it strategically to protect your interests—or hold the other party accountable for violations.

Our Approach: Strategic, Aggressive, Responsive

When you hire Fairway Law Group for your Orlando divorce, you get direct access to experienced attorneys, not paralegals or case managers. We move quickly to protect what matters most: your children, your assets, and your future. We provide transparent retainers, clear billing, and responsive service because we know that during a divorce, uncertainty is your enemy.

We’re not afraid of trial. While many family law firms push every case toward settlement regardless of fairness, we prepare every contested case as if it’s going to trial. This preparation gives us leverage in negotiations and ensures we’re ready if your spouse refuses to be reasonable.

Serving Orlando and Orange County

From our Orlando office at 722 W Smith St, we serve clients throughout Orange County and Central Florida. Whether you’re in downtown Orlando, Winter Park, Dr. Phillips, Lake Nona, or anywhere else in the greater Orlando area, our attorneys are positioned to protect your interests in the Ninth Judicial Circuit.

We understand that geography matters in family law. School zones, commute times, and local resources all factor into parenting plans and timesharing schedules. Our familiarity with Orlando and Orange County allows us to craft solutions that work for your specific situation.

Schedule Your Free Consultation With Orlando’s Contested Divorce Attorneys

Divorce moves fast in Orange County. The standing temporary order takes effect immediately. Financial disclosure deadlines start running. Parenting class requirements kick in. Every day you wait is a day you’re potentially behind.

Don’t navigate Orlando’s complex divorce process alone, and don’t assume your spouse’s attorney has your best interests at heart. Schedule your free and confidential consultation with Fairway Law Group today. We’ll review your situation, explain how the Orange County Standing Temporary Order affects your case, outline your strategic options, and help you understand what to expect.

Call our Orlando office at (407) 920-3293 or contact us online to schedule your consultation. Get clarity on your rights, your obligations under the standing order, and your next move. Hire us before your spouse does.

Fairway Law Group – Orlando Office
722 W Smith St
Orlando, FL 32804
(407) 920-3293

Serving Orange County and Central Florida in all family law matters, with a focus on contested divorces and high-stakes custody disputes.