Curtis R. Cowan, Private Law Practice

It's a fact: 40-50% of marriages end in divorce. That's one out of every two. If you find yourself in this unfortunate predicament, be assured you are not alone. However, divorce can be a time filled with stress, worry, uncertainty, anger, guilt...every emotion possible. You have a lot of decisions to make, the outcome of which will affect you for the rest of your life.

After all, getting married is fun and easy: You visit the courthouse at your convenience, pay a small fee, read a pamphlet, sign some papers, and the clerk's office will sell you a marriage license. Then you find a priest, pastor, rabbi or a notary public to make it legal. Of course, making babies is fun! But you have to keep in mind that both marriage and parenthood each comes with its own set of rights and obligations.

Getting divorced is another story. Not nearly so much fun and not nearly so easy. When both you and your spouse put aside emotions and act reasonable, most divorces can be obtained quickly and affordably, without a fight. Or you can disagree, fight, haggle, and torment each other, taking yourselves through an expensive and emotionally taxing court proceeding that can take months, or even years. In Florida divorce law is not simple. Sure, if you have no children, you can pick up a "Do-it-Yourself" kit or take your case to a document preparation service. Then you visit that same court clerk who will take those papers (along with a filing fee) and assign you a case number and a judge. It's that judge who must sign your final judgment of dissolution (the divorce decree) to make it official. And you can't just drop in at the courthouse on your morning break and wait for it, like you did your marriage license. There is a process; specific laws, detailed rules and court procedures to follow. But you're still on your own, and you cannot be assured that all of your rights have been protected.

To avoid the hassles, protect your rights, and make things as easy on yourself as possible, you need the services of an attorney experienced in the field of Marital and Family Law. That's where I come in.

I earned my J.D. magna cum laude in 1985 from Nova Southeastern University Law School where I was Editor-In-Chief of the Nova Law Review and was the recipient of the Dean's Award for Academic Excellence awarded at graduation for outstanding intellectual achievement and overall scholarship. I earned my Bachelor of Science in 1973 from Ohio State University where I was a member of the varsity swimming team.

I am a former partner in the prestigious law firm of Holland & Knight, LLP, where I spent the first 17 years of my legal career. I am a member of the Florida Bar, including the Family Law Section, the American Bar Association, including its Family Law Section, the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and the Broward County Bar Association.

In my community, I have been active as an Executive Board Member of the Communities in Schools of Broward County, Inc. and I am active in Broward Lawyers Care. I have been an adjunct professor of law at the Nova Southeastern Law Center, teaching Pretrial Practice to second- and third-year law students.

Prior to attending law school, I taught high school English and coached high school swimming for eight years in Broward County. In addition, I coached the 1976 Florida State Swimming Champions and I received "Swimming Coach of the Year" honors five times.