Jacksonville Divorce Attorney Blog

July 20, 2012

Do Florida Divorce Courts Have a Gender Bias?

We hear a lot about how the courts are biased in favor of mothers when deciding child custody. Several different studies show that there might be more to the story as other factors come into play with why fathers are less involved in their children’s lives post-divorce.

The following statistics come from a Pew Research Center analysis of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). According to the report, a married father spends on average 6.5 hours a week taking part in primary child care activities with his children. This compares to an average of 12.9 hours for married moms. The study points that that two-income households are now the norm and that the data reveals more mothers are working and doing extra child care. This gap and the increased time spent caring for children may be one reason women are more likely to retain primary custody after a divorce.

Even more surprising are the statistics regarding fathers time with children post-divorce. The results mentioned in the Huffington Post show that when fathers and children live separately, only 22% see their children more than once a week. An additional 29% see their kids one to four times a month. Sadly, a full 27% of dads have no contact with their children at all. These numbers further reflect a possible reason for the gap in custody awards during a divorce.

July 19, 2012

“Grey Divorces” Present Unique Challenges

by David M. Goldman

According to new data the trend known as “grey divorce” appears to be picking up steam. The numbers of senior divorces in the country continues to grow and with the baby boomers aging the amount will likely rise even faster.

Susan L. Brown and I-Fen Lin at Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family & Marriage Research Center conducted research that indicated the divorce rate among those over 50 years old had doubled between 1990 and 2009. This shocking figure was true even for those over the age of 65, proving that it is not a phenomenon limited to divorce-prone boomers.

These same researches are predicting that the trend will only continue to escalate. The reason is that those who have already been through one marriage and are now remarried are more than 2.5 times more likely to divorce again than those who are still on their first marriage.

July 16, 2012

More Anger In Divorce Leads To Greater Fees

by David M. Goldman

Here’s something that’s not news to anyone going through the process: divorce can be expensive. When a couple decides it’s time to part ways, it is almost always for emotional reasons but these issues can quickly morph into fights over money. The result can be financial devastation even in splits that started amicably. Everybody loses, except the attorneys.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Divorce doesn’t have to destroy both parties financially but the decision rests in their hands.

Though it’s often hard to do, a divorce should be unemotional. There are years of hurt and anger built up, but the split needs to be seen as a business decision. Financial decisions should be made by keeping your emotions outside of the legal process, whether through therapy or exercise.

July 12, 2012

Consent Divorces Saving Money and Time

by David M. Goldman

Consent Divorces are becoming more popular as economic downturn squeezes parties into making cost-cutting decisions.

A Consent Divorce is one where the parties are non-adversarial. Husband and Wife agree to the terms of their divorce without bringing lawyers to fight with one another. They outline the terms with the advice of counsel and present that agreement to a judge for his signature. As long as the terms are agreeable to the court, and they usually are, the marriage is dissolved with a single hearing.

Typically, a consent divorce takes about a month to occur. This is because Florida Statute §61.19 requires a twenty-day waiting period between the filing of a petition and the entry of a final judgment. This waiting period can be waived if injustice would otherwise occur, a requirement which is granted fairly liberally. In a recent case, I was able to dissolve a marriage in only seventeen days with the recent closure of the courthouse serving as reason for the “injustice” exception to the waiting period.

July 10, 2012

Adoptions by Gay and Lesbian Parents Recognized in Florida

by David M. Goldman

According to recent census data and other studies, the number of children being raised by lesbian and gay parents is increasing rapidly. This increase is evidenced not only throughout the country, but at home in Florida as well. The conflicting laws of the various states as to the legal recognition of same-sex parenting rights present not only complications but is fraught with legal challenges.

A nagging question is what happens when same-sex parents become parents in one state, but then move to a state that does not provide the same protection to the parties parent-child relationships?

The 2009 Florida case Embry v. Ryan (11 So. 3d 408, Fla. 2nd DCA) examined this issue involving a same-sex couple who became parents while living in Washington State, and then moved to Florida. While living in Washington, one of the partners gave birth to a child. A few months later the other partner adopted the child. After moving to Florida, and 4 years after the birth of their daughter, the couple broke up. The former partners initially entered into an amicable visitation and custody agreement, which lasted for approximately 3 years. However, like many relationships, their relationship became strained. The birth mother then refused to let her former partner have any contact with the child. Litigation ensued.

July 9, 2012

What happens to your house in a Florida divorce?

by David M. Goldman

One of the most common questions that divorce attorneys hear is: “What will happen to our house?” While courts do have the power to order the sale of the marital residence, what happens to the house usually is left up to the parties themselves. Typically, the house situation has a lot to do with whether there are children residing in the home and whether one party can afford to buy out the interest of the other, either through cash or by offsetting the equity (or debt) with other assets.

As we mentioned, the first consideration is usually whether minor children are residing in the home. If there are children in the house and it has been their home for a significant period of time, the courts are often reluctant to order the property sold and the children uprooted. Usually, the Court will give the party residing in the house a chance to come up with a plan to make the mortgage payments and retain the property.

Judges prefer to have the parties themselves come up with a plan regarding the house than have to order the home sold. Even if the parties refuse to decide amongst themselves, a judge may still decide no to order a sale until the children are grown and gone. The court is also able to offset the equity in the house against the value of other assets (including retirement funds, stocks, bonds, etc.).

July 6, 2012

What does “equitable division” mean in Florida divorce?

by David M. Goldman

Divorce and Annulment courts in Florida apply the legal concept of equitable distribution when it comes time to divide the assets of a divorcing couple. This means that the entire marital estate, assets and debts, must be divided in an equitable, though not necessarily equal, manner. There is no fixed standard for dividing property, each case will be decided on the merits, and the trial court’s discretion will not likely be disturbed on appeal without a showing of clear abuse.

Property includes anything of value, tangible or not: personal items (such as cars, furniture and art work) and real property (land and houses). Debts include anything you owe money on: mortgages, car loans, and credit card bills. Really anything the two of you possess is thrown into the mix before it’s all divided.

It’s important to know that not all property is subject to equitable division. Items that qualify as non-marital may include the following: property acquired by either party before the marriage; property acquired after certain stages of the divorce process; property excluded by a written contract between the parties (likely a prenuptial agreement); and any increase in value of non-marital property that did not result from efforts of the other spouse.

June 20, 2012

Florida’s Relocation Statute Helps Prevent “Forum Shopping”

by David M. Goldman

“Forum Shopping” occurs when a party attempts to choose a judge or court because they feel that judge or court will favor their position over the other party. This is looked down upon by the courts, but isn’t often addressed. There are strict rules when it comes to which judges have jurisdiction, but jurisdiction over a case can change if the parties relocate.

What used to happen a lot in Florida was situations where a child’s parent would move to a state far away from the other parent and take the child with them. This would force the non-moving parent to sell their home and quit their job if they were to have a good chance to get visitation rights with their child.

People complained to the Florida Legislature and to address the issue they proposed and passed Florida Statute 61.13001 which permits a judge to enter an injunction against a party moving move than 50 miles from the other parent. If court permission to move is not granted and a move still occurs, the court can order the return of the child to the jurisdiction.

June 8, 2012

Halle Berry’s Move To France Not In the Best Interest of Her Child

by David M. Goldman

American Actress and Model Halle Berry has been engaged in an emblazoned custody battle with her former boyfriend Gabriel Aubry. Berry has asked that their child, four year old Nahla, be permitted to leave with Berry to live in France. The Los Angeles Court must determine that the move is in the best interest of the child to permit it. The same standard is used here in Florida to permit a moving parent to relocate more than 50 miles away from the other parent.

Proving “best interest of the child” is not always an easy standard. It typically involves a weighing of the pros and cons of moving or staying. In Berry’s case, she argues that France has stronger protection for Nahla from the great amount of media attention she would otherwise get here in the states. This sounds like a good argument. Surely, a great amount of media attention and privacy invasion is bad for a child.

Mr. Aubry argues that the real reason for the move is Berry following her new fiance, Oliver Martinez, whom is a french film actor. He cites the fact that she has had two earlier failed marriages which is evidence that this marriage too, is likely to fail.

June 6, 2012

Name Change for Same-Sex Florida Couples

by David M. Goldman

Among the various legal documents that will ensure that you and your gay or lesbian Florida partner are protected, a change of name through a legal proceeding is also an available option. The change of name statute is found at Florida Statutes, Section 68.07.

The Petition must be verified (sworn under penalty of perjury) by the person requesting the name change. The petitioner must be a resident and domiciled in the county where the change of name is sought. The petitioner seeking a change of name (other than the restoration of a former name) must submit a set of fingerprints for the purpose of processing a state and national criminal records check. These results are then transmitted to the clerk of court.

A Petition for name change that is “facially sufficient”, follows the requirement established by the statute and is not filed for a wrongful or illegal purpose must be granted. Although the trial court has the authority to deny the petition, denial will not be upheld without evidence that the petition is being filed for an illegal or wrongful purpose or that granting it would result in harm to others.