Category Archives: Family Law
Understanding Florida’s Spousal Support Reform (2023)
Spousal support (alimony) is payment(s) made by one spouse to the other during or after a divorce. State law governs spousal support cases. Earlier this year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1416 (SB 1416)—legislation that radically reforms spousal support laws in Florida. It is crucial that parties to a divorce understand the new… Read More »
Approaches To 50/50 Time Sharing For Divorced Parents
Couples who have undergone a recent divorce often struggle with issues related to their children. This is no secret, and yet, the stakes are so high, that the parents must be able to create a plan that fits the best interests of the children. In cases where they can’t reach a solution together, the… Read More »
How Does Property Division Work During A Florida Divorce?
Concerns over property division are one of the questions that divorce attorneys are most frequently asked. Florida is an equitable distribution state, which means that the court divides assets in a way that is equitable to both parties. This does not necessarily mean the split will be 50/50. The split is supposed to allow… Read More »
Avoiding Court Intervention When Dividing Marital Assets
The court will intervene when there is no common ground between the spouses, and they seem too far apart on major issues to decide for themselves. That being said, just because you can’t agree is not necessarily a good reason to take the decision out of your hands and give it to the court…. Read More »
Do all same-sex parents have the same child custody rights?
Same-sex parents can face conflict in their relationship, just like heterosexual parents can. However, unless certain steps are taken, same-sex parents might not have equal child custody rights. Becoming a parent as a same-sex couple Same-sex couples have options for becoming parents. Some of them choose in-vitro fertilization. Some same-sex couples choose surrogacy. And… Read More »
Is your ex-spouse gatekeeping?
Spouses get divorced for a myriad of reasons, and parenting spouses get divorced for even more reasons. Sometimes, there may even still be love, but they just cannot agree on parenting, and that fracture breaks the Lakeland, Florida, marriage. It is these unique parental divorces that can see issues of gatekeeping. Gatekeeping? Gatekeeping may… Read More »
Florida risk protection orders may not be enough
Our state takes domestic violence seriously. Indeed, Florida has risk protection orders to help safeguard families from their familial abusers. And, this blog posted, recently covered RPOs in detail. However, what many DV victims do not realize is that an RPO may not be enough to truly be free from the abuse, especially if… Read More »
Can my ex and I work out our custody schedule outside of court?
Many of us have heard stories about Florida parents fighting for custody of their kids in court. Once both parents have stated their respective cases, the judge will make a final decision as to child custody and visitation arrangements. In many cases, the court will award joint custody, where both parents will share physical… Read More »
The four types of alimony in Florida
The issue of alimony is often the most fought-over divorce legal issue between couples going through a divorce. After all, it seems only natural that one spouse would be hesitant or even loathe to pay alimony while the other spouse may see alimony as a necessary component of their post-divorce life. Florida law recognizes… Read More »
How will mediation work in my family law dispute?
The Polk County courts who hear family law cases are going to require those involved to try family law mediation before taking a dispute before a judge. While there are some exceptions to this policy, a Lakeland resident dealing with a family law case should prepare for mediation to be part of the process… Read More »