IN ALL FLORIDA court proceedings involving children, the courts have a legal obligation to make decisions regarding the children based on the “best interests of the child.” This is a legal standard established by the Florida legislature and case law. Florida Statute 61.13 addresses the factors the court may take into consideration when determining the best […]
Divorce in Florida
Preparing for Your Divorce: Financial Documents You’ll Need to Gather
IF YOU ARE considering divorce, you’ll need to start thinking about the documents you will need to gather to be in compliance with Florida’s “mandatory disclosure” requirement. In Florida, the courts requires each party to a divorce to fully disclose his or her financial information to the another. Many people are confused by this and ask: […]
Florida Alimony Reform Update
OVER THE PAST few years, advocates of alimony reform have been lobbying aggressively to change Florida’s alimony laws. The biggest concern among advocates for reform appears to be that Florida law still allows for lifetime, permanent alimony. Reform advocates argue that such permanent, lifetime alimony can be detrimental to the paying party, particularly as the paying […]
For Fathers Only: Requirements to Protect Your Rights
UNDER FLORIDA LAW, if a child is born out of wedlock, the mother is deemed to be the natural guardian of the child and, as such, may place that child for adoption without the biological father’s consent. To ensure biological (a.k.a. “putative” fathers (not married to the child’s mother) receive notice and preserve their rights […]
Divorce and Money: The Not-So-Grand Truth
YEARS AGO I saw a bumper sticker that said: “Love is grand. Divorce is $20 grand.” This saying always springs to mind when I hear couples headed for divorce because of financial troubles. Sadly, divorce not only does not solve money troubles, it usually makes them worse. A settlement agreement is between the parties to the […]
Second Time Around: Challenges of Second Marriages and How to Overcome Them
STATISTICS INDICATE 41 percent of first marriages end in divorce. That statistic increases significantly in second marriages to a whopping 60 percent! Why? Here are three oft-cited reasons, and possible solutions to help you if you are considering a re-marriage after your divorce. Issue: Blending Families. Many couples marrying for the second time have children from […]
Do’s and Don’ts When Filing Mandatory Financial Affidavits in A Florida Divorce Case
FLORIDA LAW requires parties to a divorce action to disclose to each other complete and accurate financial information. This is called “Mandatory Disclosure,” mandatory being the operative word. Disclosing your finances is not optional; it is a “must do.” Not only is it mandatory to disclose all your financial information, each party must actually swear the […]
Military Divorces in Florida
DIVORCE CAN BE a challenging process. For members of the military and their spouses, it is even more so as there are not only state laws to consider, but federal laws and military codes of conduct as well. Some of the issues facing divorcing military couples: JURISDICTION AND RESIDENCY Under Florida law, a least one spouse […]
Life After Divorce: 3 Tips
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] NOT EVERYONE who visits an attorney to discuss divorce is ready to pull the trigger. Sometimes, one spouse may have just discovered the other spouse has had an affair, and in a highly emotionally charged state, he or she makes an appointment with an attorney […]
‘Legal Separation’ in Florida
[et_pb_section admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” text_font_size=”14″ use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid”] IS THERE SUCH A THING as “legal separation” in Florida? It depends. Many Florida family lawyers would probably tell you there is no such thing as legal separation in Florida. They would be right in that there is not a process like you might find […]