The state of Florida has changed its view on common law marriage in 1967 to not allowing it. As a Florida family law attorney, I get many questions from people who have resided together as husband and wife who have never been officially married. Florida will only recognize this type…
As a Florida family law lawyer, I have been noticing a mad dash by people trying to obtain a “springing” Medical Power of Attorney (POA) because of the new law taking effect on October 1, 2011. A “springing” Medical Power of Attorney is one that is created when the person…
Premarital agreements in Florida are an important tool if you wish to keep your assets private during a marriage. While such agreements may never come into play if the marriage lasts, they can be incredibly important in the event of a divorce in Florida. Florida is one of the many…
As a Florida child custody attorney, I often see families that are having to learn to live separately. Roughly one out of every four fathers lives separately from a child. According to the Pew Research Center, education is a large indicator of whether a father will stick around and be…
In my role as a family law adoption attorney in Jacksonville, Florida, I find that people often think adoption in Florida is only for families seeking an infant or other small child incapable of taking care of him or herself. Adoptions are confidential in many states and as such, hard…
There are multiple reasons why it happens, but the fact is more and more grandparents are finding themselves having to take care of their grandkids. The problem is, however, grandparents often can’t get their grandchildren the services they need due to various legal complications. For example, grandparents don’t automatically have…
No matter how good and attentive a child you may be, your Florida elderly single parent may fall prey to a companion, “girl-friend” or “boyfriend”, who may have an ulterior and nefarious (not so nice) motive. If you are a concerned child of an elder who may be involved with…
As a Jacksonville Family Law Attorney, I am often asked whether a child timesharing order can be modified after a divorce. In short, yes, parents can change their timesharing agreement. However, if the parents disagree about the modification, the standard under Florida Law is often difficult to satisfy. After a…
Florida residents seeking to change their name may do so by filing a Petition for Change of Name with the court in the county in which they reside. However, there are a few hoops that must be jumped prior to the court granting a name change. In particular, fingerprints must…
Timesharing disputes often conclude where one party is granted majority timesharing of a child, while the other is issued a court order to pay child support each month. The effect of the court order is a legal obligation for the minority timesharing parent to make monetary payments to the majority…