On June 30, 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law significant changes to Florida’s alimony law. The bill eliminates permanent alimony, and sets new standards for what is considered a long-term marriage. It also changes what courts call durational alimony. The alimony reform bill also makes it easier to change an existing parenting plan. The … Read more
Alimony is an issue which is often litigated. There is no objective way to assess it, but it comes up in many cases. Support is based on need and ability to pay. This is as vague as it sounds. However, it is the primary way to determine alimony. Florida law provides several different types of … Read more
When can you seek a modification of your final judgment? This question comes up during a series of different issues. Modification means changing your final judgment, but that’s not easy. There are a few select areas where courts allow a Modification. It’s important to know when you can seek it, especially before you finish an … Read more
This coming Thursday is America’s Birthday, and it’s a great thing to celebrate! We have so many things in our country for which to be thankful. Freedom of speech and the press is a wonderful right that we enjoy both at the national and State level. Freedom of Religion, likewise, is protected in both the … Read more
The Florida court system uses Magistrates every day. However, many people do not understand their role. Magistrates are appointed by circuit judges to handle a variety of cases. They work directly under the circuit judges, running their courtroom just like a judge. In family law cases, magistrates hear divorces, modification cases, and paternity cases. … Read more
Florida is on the verge of becoming another State which has its own Collaborative Law statute. Collaborative Law is a unique process. It involves having the parties consent to negotiating rather than litigating. A collaborative team works together. And it may include a collaborative attorney, counselors, and accountants. The process can begin at any time. … Read more
The Florida Legislature passed an alimony reform bill this week which is now before the Governor. This bill substantially changes the alimony laws, and provides a presumption that children should spend approximately equal amounts of time with both parents. If signed into law, the bill will be a substantial change. It requires courts to make certain … Read more
Several cases we see involve divorces in which one of the parties is a non-resident. That is, the Husband and Wife lived in Florida, but moved away. In many instances, the non-resident is in the military, or works in a field in which they have to work out of state. In other cases, both parties lived here … Read more
When Do You Need a Family Lawyer? What comes to your mind when you think of family law? Many would say divorce and/or the courtroom, but that’s the tip of the iceberg. It is natural for people to identify “family lawyers” as someone who only helps individuals get a divorce. Pictures are conjured of lawyers … Read more
Each child is unique, and has a natural desire to please his or her parents. Many of us do our best to raise our kids, but there’s no easy route when a child is caught in the middle of a divorce. For them, this is a life changing event. It turns their world upside down. … Read more