Courts have one primary consideration when making decisions involving children, and that is the best interests of the child. There is no law that says that you may absolutely not move your children away from the other parent; however, the other parent can generally petition the court to prevent your…
As a Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer, I know that divorce affects people in numerous but often similar ways. Many divorcing clients of mine are affected emotionally, mentally and of course financially. However, WebMD recently posted an article titled, “Marriage and Divorce Trigger Weight Gain.” Therefore, not only are divorcing individuals burdened…
Premarital Agreements, also known as prenups, have been around for over 200 years and with divorce rates the way they are I can’t imagine them going anywhere anytime soon. In Jacksonville, Florida, premarital agreements are governed by Florida Statute 61.079. This statute is often referred to as the “Uniform Premarital…
St. Petersburg Times reported on Sunday, August 21, 2011, that a Pinellas County woman was arrested on charges of sale of parental rights and violation of probation for grand theft. According to reports, sometime last week, Jessica Marie Beers, 28, offered to sell her son to James Gardner and his…
Newly married or divorced individuals can simply have their name changed through their marriage certificate or their divorce decree. However, if someone wants to change to a new name for other reasons, such as they simply don’t like their birth name, a court order is required. The process to have…
Relying on child support payments can be a frustrating experience. This can get even more complicated when an ex moves out of the country bust still owes child support. It becomes very difficult to legally secure that money. Florida’s new law attempts to make it easier to secure payments from…
Florida Statute 39.806 governs termination of parental rights in Florida. The Statute not only specifies what are grounds for termination of parental rights but also specifies circumstances which do not establish grounds for termination of parental rights. Circumstances that do not establish grounds for terminating parental rights include: mental illness…
In Florida all parents must contribute to the support of their minor child(ren). A minor child is defined as a child who has not yet reached majority (18 years old). If however, the child is 18 but is still in high school, than child support can be extended until either…
Florida recognizes Five types of Alimony, which include: Permanent Alimony provides for ongoing monthly payments until the death or remarriage of the recipient. Recent changes in the law allow modifications in cases of “cohabitation in a financially supportive relationship,” even without remarriage. Durational Alimony is awarded to provide the receiving…
A Parenting Plan is a document that governs the way divorcing parties relate to one another about the decisions made regarding their children. A Parenting Plan includes a time-sharing schedule that dictates when the parties’ children will be spending time with each parent, including overnights, weekends, holidays and summer breaks.…