Family Law / Divorce Archives

March 30, 2020

Five Tips for Co-Parenting During the COVID-19 Pandemic

As we all continue to cope with schools being closed, businesses being closed, quarantine/shelter-in-place orders being issued, and generally, life as we know it fundamentally changing as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I have received numerous calls and e-mails about how time-sharing schedules and co-parenting works during this time. Divorced or separated parents must find ways to effectively co-parent and communicate in order to ensure that there is no added stress on their children during these unsure and scary times. Below are my five tips for co-parenting during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Be Respectful. We are all stressed out. Do […]

October 13, 2017

Top 3 Things You Need to Know about Child Support in Florida

Are you contemplating a dissolution of marriage or a paternity case in Florida with minor children involved? If so, you should be aware that the law requires that child support be established. Here are the most important things you need to know about it: Child Support is the right of the child – not the parent. This means that, in general, child support cannot be waived or relinquished since it is the child’s right to be financially supported by both parents. Child Support is based on guidelines set by the Florida Legislature. These guidelines are known as the Child Support […]

February 13, 2017

Understanding Alimony in Florida

Different states have different standards for alimony – also known as “spousal support” – and Florida is no exception. Before awarding alimony, the Court must first make a determination of need and ability to pay; i.e., a party seeking alimony must show their need for the alimony and the other party’s ability to pay alimony. The Court then examines the length of the marriage. There is a presumption that a short-term marriage is less than 7 years; a moderate-term marriage is more than 7 years but less than 17 years; and a long-term marriage is longer than 17 years. Then […]

January 17, 2017

Do’s and Do Not’s for Divorce in a Digital Society

How often have you heard someone say that a new relationship or a break-up isn’t official until it’s posted on Facebook? In today’s hyper-digital society, it’s easy to expose private details of your life in very public places, and attorneys who practice in the area of family law are keenly aware of this. As a result, social media websites are now fair game for gathering information and evidence to use against the opposing party. If you’re separated or contemplating a separation, here are some social media do’s and don’ts to help protect your family law case: 1. DO set all […]

April 13, 2013

10 Social Media Tips to Protect Your Family Law Case

In today’s social media world, people discuss many private details of their lives on very public websites. In fact, how often have you heard, or even joked yourself, that a new relationship or a break-up/separation is not official until it has been posted on Facebook? Attorneys working in the area of family law have become keenly aware of this and now use these social media websites to gather sensitive information and evidence to use against the opposing party. Here are some social media tips to help protect your family law case: 1. Make sure to set all accounts to the […]

February 9, 2013

Simplified Dissolution of Marriage

Often, we are asked what is the difference between a simplified dissolution of marriage versus a dissolution of marriage. The short answer is that a simplified dissolution of marriage is a less complicated procedure for obtaining a divorce for couples who meet certain requirements and are willing to waive certain rights. Requirements: Grounds: Both parties must agree that the marriage is irretrievably broken (i.e., nothing can be done to save the marriage). Residency: Under Florida Statute 61.021, a person must have resided in the state of Florida for at least six months prior to filing for dissolution of marriage. The […]

April 23, 2012

Dissolution of Marriage

Basics of Filing for a Dissolution of Marriage In order to file for a dissolution of marriage in Florida, certain basic requirements must be met. Grounds: Florida is a no fault divorce state. This means that an individual seeking a dissolution of marriage does not have to prove that the other party did something wrong in order to obtain a dissolution of marriage. Under Florida Statute 61.052, in order to obtain a dissolution of marriage, a person must plead one of the following grounds (reasons): (1) the marriage is irretrievably broken, or (2) one of the parties has been declared […]

February 9, 2012

Proposed Changes to Florida’s Alimony Laws

New legislation has been proposed in both the Florida House of Representatives (H.B. 549) and the Florida Senate (S.B. 748) that would make considerable changes to Florida’s Alimony Laws. If approved by the Legislature, these changes could result in significantly lower alimony payments.Some of the major changes proposed by House Bill 549 include: Capping alimony awards at 20% of the payor’s monthly net income over the last 3 years of the marriage.Defining the length of a long term marriage as 20 years instead of the current 17 years.Limiting the maximum time duration for alimony based on the length of marriage […]

January 4, 2012

Children Born to Unwed Parents

In recent years, the negative stigma of children born to unwed parents has faded significantly and it is now considered socially acceptable to have children outside of a marriage. This is a noteworthy change from even twenty to thirty years ago. According to the Kids Count Data Center, in 2009, nearly half, 47.7% to be exact, of children born in the state of Florida were born to an unwed mother. As for the Treasure Coast and surrounding areas, in St. Lucie County 48.9% of children were born to unwed mothers, in Martin County 46.4% of children were born to unwed […]