ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The combination of the still-sour national economy, a stagnant housing market, and Florida’s double-digit unemployment have created a new social imperative: What to do about a couple facing divorce, unable to sell their home, with neither partner able to afford it alone?

“Divorcing couples are letting houses go to foreclosure because neither the husband or wife can afford it alone, or they get divorced and live separately in the same house. Neither option is good. They are very stressful situations.”

“We’re seeing it more and more,” said Shawn Yesner, a partner in the law firm, Yesner & Boss, P.L. (www.YesnerBoss.com). “Divorcing couples are letting houses go to foreclosure because neither the husband or wife can afford it alone, or they get divorced and live separately in the same house. Neither option is good. They are very stressful situations.”

To assist their clients with these new issues, Yesner & Boss, a firm that represents clients in residential and commercial short sales, bankruptcies and foreclosures, has created a family law division. Divorce attorney Brian Arrighi has joined Yesner & Boss to develop a family law practice while expanding the firm's current practice in the New Tampa, Brandon, and Wesley Chapel areas. In addition, Yesner & Boss has also opened an office in the Sarasota/Bradenton area.

“Bringing Brian aboard will allow us to develop a family-law division,” said Yesner & Boss partner, Christopher Boss. “Brian will be especially valuable when we have clients who find themselves facing the dual problems of divorce and foreclosure. Brian fits perfectly into what we do already, as well as taking us into territory that is new to the firm.”

According to RealtyTrac, which compiles real estate statistics nationwide, Florida has eight of the 20 markets with the highest foreclosure rates in the country, including the Bradenton/Sarasota/Venice area and Lakeland. The situation is exacerbated by Florida’s unemployment rate, which stands at more than 12 percent.

Divorce lawyer Brian Arrighi represents clients in all types of family law cases, including dissolution of marriage, custody, paternity, child support, alimony, and division of assets and liabilities. While Brian Arrighi's primary office is located in New Tampa, he represents clients all across the Tampa Bay area.