Firm Philosophy

The Law Offices of Valerie G. Kanouse, P.A., is an AV rated firm (highest rating by Martindale-Hubbell) specializing in all aspects of marital and family law.Its founder Valerie Kanouse Balsama, Esquire, has brought together under one umbrella, individual attorneys who share a common zeal for the higher standards of excellence and ethics within the practice of Florida Family Law. Each brings to the firm a particular style and concentration, which allows every client to be individually matched according to his/her needs and desired approach.

Attorney Balsama has been considered a visionary in advocating amicable divorces, dating back to 1987 when she first opened her firm in Boca Raton. Her work in the field of marriage preservation and amicable divorces, including the founding of a nonprofit interdisciplinary think tank, The Council for Marriage Preservation and Divorce Resolution, Inc. won her local, state and national awards. Included among these awards were The Florida Bar Family Law Section Award, and the National Outstanding Woman Alumni Award from the University of Notre Dame Law School Division in 1996.

Attorney Balsama is a holistic attorney who understands the psychology of divorce as with the law. By appreciating the fact there are 5 stages to grieving in divorce, comparable to the grieving stages in death (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance) she helps couples from anger to the acceptance stage. It is there that the fairest resolutions are often achieved.

Traditional Divorce

In addition to offering creative models, Valerie G. Kanouse, P.A., is qualified and experienced to handle divorce litigation as well. The traditional divorce usually begins by a consultation with the attorney followed by the filing of a Petition for Dissolution with the Court. This petition is then served on the spouse who has 20 days to file his/her answer. During this period the spouse usually seeks his/her own counsel who would file both an answer and usually a Counter Petition for Dissolution. Many times one party or the other may be filing Motion for Temporary Relief seeking temporary support, custody, exclusive use of marital home or temporary injunctions.

The next phase of the litigation would be the Discovery Phase where comprehensive financial information would be required of each side. After discovery, the Negotiation Phase would begin, where each side would attempt to negotiate terms most favorable to their client. This is followed by trial preparation. Ultimately, the case will either settle by agreement of both parties or be decided by a judge after the parties have completed a trial before such judge.

Simplified Dissolution

In certain rare instances a couple may qualify for a simplified dissolution providing they have no children, no property to be divided, no need for continued jurisdiction of court and where both parties can attend two sessions at the courthouse to file and get divorced. We would be happy to examine whether or not you are eligible for this form of divorce.

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