In Part I of the Guide for Recently Divorced Women in Boca Raton we shared information specific to South Florida on how to develop new skills or refine old ones and join or form an intentional community.
In Part II of the Guide for Recently Divorced Women in Boca Raton we share information on places in South Florida to meet or go with a new crush.
Guide for Recently Divorced Women in Boca Raton Part II
Divorce is in large part about empowering yourself to obtain the Freedom to Start Fresh. Once you’ve processed your emotions and recommitted yourself to pursuing happiness on your own terms, it becomes possible to develop a healthy attachment with a new romantic partner. This process of recovering after divorce is preferable to falling into depression or engaging in a series of rebound relationships. According to Couples Therapist, Kiaundra Jackson, these occur when “someone who isn’t over their ex can struggle to form new, healthy emotional attachments.” Presuming you’ve passed those phases; we share the following insights gained from working as divorce attorneys on behalf of women.
- Expand Your Geographic Horizons
- Expand Your Cultural Horizons
- Get Ready for Online Dating
- Manage Expectations
Expand your Geographic Horizons
Boca Raton is a great place to work, play and meet new people. If you are looking for shopping, recreation, and nightlife options in one centralized space, Mizner Park has it all! And yet, part of what makes Boca Raton such a great place to live is its linkage to a sprawling metropolis. The Miami Metropolitan Area – at 1,279.2 square miles – makes it the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States! While the population of Boca Raton is less than 100,000 people, the urban area it is a part of has more than 6.1 million people.
South Florida’s settlement and development patterns have been very diverse. This has led to differences in population density – while the City of Miami has 13,286 people living in it per square mile, Boca Raton only has 3,671 per square mile. Neighboring Boynton/Delray is similar with 3,845 per square mile – but still, each town is unique.
One former client solicited our services after hearing from an acquaintance that Klein Law Group was one of the most affordable divorce lawyers in Palm Beach County. After an easy mediation, she had us help her buy real estate in an area that enabled her to easily ride her bike to her office. This reduced commute enables her to appreciate the neighborhood in a way she never did before. Sure enough, while exploring one of the places she used to drive past in her commute, she met the man that would later become her husband. As South Florida has lots of little treasures to discover, we share some of them below.
Fort Lauderdale
Image by Sublime Imagery
A half-hour south of Boca Raton will take you to Fort Lauderdale, which is called “Venice of America” because of its 165 miles of inland waterways. Head to Las Olas Boulevard and the Riverwalk area adjacent to it and you can find water-taxis to go on an in-land tour or head out to the ocean. In the center of the city, these places and the nearby FATSVillage all provide a big-city vibe. Those looking for a more casual, sunny, and sandy experience can head over to BeachPlace.
WalletHub named Fort Lauderdale the 20th Best City in the United States for Singles in their 2020 Best & Worst Cities for Singles report. Florida’s flatness means there are no views remotely close to the mountainous archipelago of Bali in Eat, Pray, Love where Liz Gilbert meets Felipe. And yet, once you’ve driven into the parking lot for Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show you may start to feel as if you have magically been whisked out of South Florida. The external Pacific Island ambiance is even more beautiful inside, as are the nightly dance performances.
Delray Beach
Adjacent to the north side of Boca Raton is Delray Beach. Delray (as the locals call it) was recently selected by EliteSingles as the third best city to be single in the United States. Considering the many draws of the area, it’s no surprise!
Delray Beach is regularly placed on lists like The Best Small Cities to Start a Small Business – which hints at the ambitious nature of its residents. Delray’s downtown area has also been given national recognition. In 2017 USA Today named Delray’s Atlantic Avenue as one of its 10 Great American Streets. The main thoroughfare is filled with restaurants, attractions, and events. This main avenue is adjacent to the Pineapple Grove Arts District and a new nightlife complex with an iPic theater and bowling alley. On the other side of the Atlantic Avenue bridge, there are also several beach-side restaurants and bars. There are lots of places to explore. On the other side of I-95 are other diversions that will help you move past memories of divorce, like the beautiful Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens and Delray Marketplace, a small commercial center with a space for public events.
West Palm Beach
When the West Palm Beach Downtown Development Authority says that there is thriving economic growth in the area under their management – this isn’t marketing mumbo jumbo. Compared to how the area looked ten years ago, the area has radically changed. And not just CityPlace! The dive bars on Clematis, Datura, and Evernia Streets have been replaced with casual dining concept restaurants like Lynora’s. E.R. Bradley’s Saloon still serves, at-times, rowdy crowds along the intercoastal, however, a block over, the newly built Elisabetta’s attracts the affluent clique seeking to enjoy fine cuisine, elegant décor, maritime scenery, and to see and be seen. Those wishing to enjoy ocean breezes and also have a birds-eye view can go to rooftop bars like Spruzzo or Treehouse while those that want a more industrial vibe can check out Ookapow Brewing Company.
Off the Well-Beaten Path
While we’ve covered a few of the downtown areas – it’s worth noting that from Miami to Tequesta there are many similar enclaves.
As you can tell from their Instagram Profile, for example, the Lake Worth Beach Complex is a delightful space that frequently hosts community events such as beach bonfires and free concerts.
The easiest way to learn about the specific events in the various downtown areas is to check out the calendars on:
Expand your Cultural Horizons
Several years ago, a woman arrived at our Boca Raton offices to engage us as her family law attorney in a divorce. As a prenuptial agreement or post-nuptial agreement didn’t exist, it was a contested divorce. Everything – alimony, child support, child custody, and equitable distribution was on the table. She passionately swore off ever again getting married and thus involving lawyers in her love life. And yet a few years after obtaining her fresh start and cultivating herself, we got a call from her again asking to do just that. This time she was set on applying what she’d learned from her past mistakes: She wanted us to draft a prenuptial agreement for her and her new fiancée.
The difference in her energy between then and now was significant – she seemed to be a new person! We discussed what was to be included in her prenuptial agreement. As we spoke, she shared how they met, and what she appreciated about her new fiancée. Three years ago, a co-worker had invited her to a festival. While there she met a relative of her work friend. After a courtship that lasted longer than her first – she decided to say yes to his proposal. One of the qualities she appreciated abouther new love interest was his accent, his cultural sophistication, and his interest in the arts. She shared how happy she was that – in contrast to her ex-husband’s family – her soon-to-be husband’s family always welcomed her with lingering hugs and made her feel welcome.
The Miami Metro Area is home to the largest communities of Cubans, Venezuelans, Peruvians, Dominicans, and Costa Ricans outside of their respective countries. It is also the home of the second-largest Chilean and Brazilian population outside of those countries. While nothing prevents them from intermingling – the fact is that many stay within their own cultural/national enclaves. Except, of course, when events with parades, food, live music, and dance are involved.
A Sample of South Florida Cultural Festivals
Brazilian Festival – First launched in 2012, this annual festival now attracts top musical artists from Brazil. Held in Broward county
Calle Ocho Carnaval – First launched in 1978 by Cubans ex-patriates and held since then in Little Havana, Miami, it has grown to be the largest annual Latin cultural event in the United States.
Miami-Broward Carnaval – First launched in 1985, this annual event brings together many of non-Cuban Caribbean cultures, such as those from Jamaica, Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas.
AllEvents West Palm Beach – While it’s not a festival, AllEvents collects information on local activities. Whether it’s a concert by Tito Puente Jr. and His Latin Jazz Ensemble at Arts Garage in Delray Beach or a Havana, Cuba-themed New Year’s Eve Salsa Party at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport, you can find information about it here.
Get Ready for Online Dating
Online dating is the digital equivalent to exploring new locations and visiting cultural events across South Florida in hopes of finding a new love interest. It’s inescapable in today’s internet-connected age. If discernment and mindfulness are practiced, the negative ways that online profiles tend to change people’s modern expectations of dating, especially those that are divorced, can be avoided.
There are a lot of dating sites in Florida, but knowing which ones to explore need not be a chore. It’s our experience that the quality of a good or service is commensurate to what you pay for it. Because of this, we suggest skipping free apps like Tinder and Plenty of Fish. The monthly subscription cost acts as a filter for those not interested in something serious. We’ve heard the following three mentioned multiple times by our family law clients.
- It’s Just Lunch: A personalized dating service that has been in business for more than 30 years, rather than looking through a database of singles – a curated list of potential romantic partners it’s given to you.
- eHarmony: Since its launch in 2001, its in-depth questionnaire and matchmaking app have been marketed as a better way in which to find someone with similar interests and intentions for a relationship.
- Match.com: Founded several years before eHarmony, in 1995, Match is similar in functionality to eHarmony but with a lower monthly cost.
In addition to these online services, there are also in-person options for those who prefer meetings in person. The calendar for Eventbrite in West Palm Beach is updated whenever there are speed dating events.
Lastly, should you match, harmonize, or in some other way connect with someone online that you plan to meet in person, you should abide by some basic safety rules like:
- Request your first meet be in a public place.
- Inform a friend or family member where you are going and with whom.
- Stay sober.
- Drive yourself to as many dates as necessary until you trust them.
Conclusion
While the particulars will always vary from case to case – alimony, conflict over assets, custody, child support – what never changes is that after all the paperwork is signed and filed, the next step our divorce clients take is to begin exercising their new freedom. Once the division of marital assets is complete, the dissolution of marriage paperwork is all filed and the lawyers are no longer in the picture – there begins your freedom to start fresh.
Should your luck be at all like that of the clients whose story we shared, rather than searching online for “family law Boca Raton” – contact us directly by calling or emailing us. Klein Law Group has compassionate divorce attorneys that are here to help you develop a plan so you can start your life fresh the right way. Our areas of practice include alimony, complex/high net worth divorce, contested divorce, parental relocation, property division, and more. In addition to that, we can also write cohabitation agreements, pre-nuptial agreements, or even act as an officiant for your wedding.
