Jacksonville Divorce Attorney Blog

February 2, 2012

Parental Alienation and risks

In many of my Jacksonville divorce cases I run into the all to common problem of Parental Alienation Syndrome. ParentalAlienation.org defines Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS) as “a disorder that arises primarily in the context of child-custody disputes. Its primary manifestation is the child’s campaign of denigration against a parent, a campaign that has no justification. It results from the combination of a programming (brainwashing) parent’s indoctrination and the child’s own contributions to the vilification of the targeted parent.”

In my past Child Custody Cases in Jacksonville, I have unfortunately seen parents make degrading remarks about the other parent to the child, make false accusations to the Department of Children and Families (DCF) and refuse to comply with time-sharing agreements.

In cases where Parental Alienation is an issue the Court needs to be made aware of what exactly is occurring and the severity of the problem in order for the Court devise a remedy.

February 1, 2012

Family law and Divorce

by David M. Goldman

Jacksonville Divorce, custody and family disputes are highly emotional and important matters that we at Law Office of David M. Goldman take special pride in handling. Regardless of the circumstances, the break up of any marriage involves many legal issues that cannot be overlooked and must be thoroughly researched and evaluated so that our clients obtain a fair and equitable result upon termination of their marriage.

Our Jacksonville Florida Divorce and Family law Attorneys recognize that a divorce or child custody issues can create stress and cause individuals to take unrealistic positions on various topics. We strive to open lines of communication and help families work through this difficult process while creating an environment that allows children to have a normal healthy lifestyle. Whether you need an uncontested divorce or just enforcement of a previous agreement we are able to help preserve and enforce your rights in Duval, Clay, Nassau, and St. Johns County. 

If you are considering divorce or have just been filed with divorce papers contact a Jacksonville Divorce Attorney at (904) 685-1200 to schedule a free consultation. Weekend and night appointments are available.  

January 31, 2012

How Much Alimony should I Get?

by David M. Goldman

When deciding whether to grant alimony in a divorce case, courts in Jacksonville, Florida consider many factors, including the length of the marriage, the spouses’ employment prospects, the age of each party, their standard of living, their marital contributions, their available income and assets, and the fairness of the situation.

Generally, the shorter you’ve been married, the less likely you will be awarded alimony. Similarly, age is important. If one of the spouses is about to retire, alimony might be more likely.

Jacksonville, Florida courts also consider marital contributions. You might complain that your spouse watched TV all day for twelve years while you worked fifty hours a week. You might think this means your spouse should not be entitled to alimony; however, the court will likely not consider this in granting alimony. Similarly, if your spouse ran up huge credit card debt, he or she may still be entitled to alimony. The court might look more favorably to you, however, if those debts were ran up without your knowledge.

January 30, 2012

Equitable Distribution: What is Equal?

by David M. Goldman

Whether or not an asset is “marital” or “nonmarital” is often a key issue in a divorce. Marital assets are generally considered jointly owned by both husband and wife, and it is usually up to the court to decide how those assets will be distributed. Nonmarital assets, however, are considered owned by only one of the spouses and are generally free from distribution in a divorce. You should be aware that liabilities –debts– are treated the same way as assets.

Florida Statute 61.075 addresses this issue and defines marital and nonmarital assets. Marital assets include assets acquired during the marriage, the increase in value of nonmarital assets (if the increase is the result of contribution from both spouses), interspousal gifts during the marriage, and all benefits accrued during the marriage, such as retirement funds, pension, profit sharing, and insurance plans.

Nonmarital assets include assets acquired prior to the marriage, assets acquired during the marriage by gift or inheritance, assets excluded from being considered marital by written agreement (such as a prenuptial agreement), and income derived from nonmarital assets, unless the income was “treated, used, or relied upon by the parties as a marital asset.”

January 27, 2012

Who Gets to Claim the Children for Tax Reasons?

by David M. Goldman

It is tax season yet again and those who have experienced a divorce in Florida may wonder which party can claim the child(ren) on the tax exemption after a divorce. A Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer can create an agreement whereby the parents agree to rotate the tax dependency exemption after a divorce wherein one parent claims the child(ren) in odd numbered years and the other parent claims the child(ren) in even numbered years. Without an agreement, however, the majority timesharing parent will get the exemption.

Please contact a Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer today to create an agreement to best maximize your dependency tax exemption after divorce.

January 26, 2012

Bankruptcy After Divorce

by David M. Goldman

The process of obtaining a divorce can be an expensive process, one that leaves many people in debt and possibly looking to file bankruptcy. Before you make any of these decisions, you should make sure to contact a Jacksonville Divorce Attorney or a Jacksonville Bankruptcy Attorney to discuss your situation as your options can often be complicated and confusing.

For example, many people think all of their credit card debts will be discharged in a bankruptcy proceeding. This is not necessarily true. If you file for divorce and a judge issues a final order of divorce, you will likely be responsible for any debts listed in that order. So, if a divorce order gives you the car, your spouse the boat, and splits the credit card debt between the both of you, you will likely not be able to discharge that credit card debt in a later bankruptcy proceeding.

There are exceptions to this rule, but the laws can be very complicated. Make sure to contact a Jacksonville Divorce Attorney if you are thinking of filing for divorce or post divorce bankruptcy.

January 25, 2012

Is an Annulment Legal in Florida?

by David M. Goldman

Florida marriages can be formally terminated either by divorce or by an annulment. Most everybody knows the basics of divorce, but few people are knowledgeable on the basics of annulments.

Annulments in Florida are not governed by statute or rule. Instead, it is a common law action in equity to terminate a void or voidable marriage. A marriage may be annulled for any cause that has prevented the parties from contracting a valid marriage.

As a Jacksonville Family Law Attorney, I am often asked whether an annulment will be granted if a marriage was induced by fraud. Because Florida does not have an official statutory annulment provision, this question is difficult to answer. Courts will have to look at the totality of the circumstances and evaluate each situation on a case-by-case basis.

January 24, 2012

Bill Introduced in California to Deny Violent Abusers from Receiving Alimony from Their Victims

by David M. Goldman

On November 11, 2011 I wrote a blog titled, “Sexual Assault Victim Ordered to Pay Her Attacker Alimony.” In the blog I described how Crystal Harris, a San Diego area resident, was ordered to pay alimony to her ex husband whom was serving time in prison for sexual assault. Worst part about this is that Crystal was the victim of the sexual assault her ex-husband was convicted of.

This case has received a lot of attention from many across the nation, including California lawmakers. For example, Toni Atkins, a Sacramento, California Assemblymember, has introduced legislation to prevent future cases like that of Crystal Harris. The bill, AB 1522, would add violent sex felonies to the list of convictions that disqualify a person from obtaining financial benefits from their ex-spuse in a divorce proceeding.

Atkins stated in a SDGLN.com article,”The current law allowing rapists to demand payment from their spouses in a divorce is unjust.” “Victims of violent sex crimes already suffer physical trauma, fear, and an assault on their privacy and dignity. To require them also to pay their abuser alimony or to give them a share of their pension or household goods is cruel and makes a mockery of the intent behind the laws governing the fair division of assets in a divorce.”

January 23, 2012

Who’s my Father?

by David M. Goldman

As a Jacksonville Family Law Lawyer, I often have cases where the parties are not married but they have a child in common. In my experience many men falsely believe simply because their name is on the birth certificate that they are legally the fathers. In Florida this is simply not the case!

Under Florida law, until a Judge signs an Order which determines you are the father, then the child is NOT legally yours. As such, you have no legal rights to the child for timesharing or parental rights of any kind.

In order to be recognized as the legal father in Florida it is necessary to file what is called a Petition for Determination of Paternity. Paternity actions are brought before the court in order to assist a parent in acknowledging and protecting important time-sharing and child support rights and/or obligations.

January 20, 2012

Am I Entitled to Child Support

by David M. Goldman

A recent study showed that a total of $35 billion in child support is owed all across the US, but only 41% is actually paid. This is down from about 60% in 2009, largely due to the economic downturn over the past several years.

One thing many parents behind on child support don’t realize is that the court can, and will, alter your child support requirements if you legitimately cannot pay them. If you had a well-paying job when the court first established the numbers, it is not fair that you have to pay that same amount if you lost your job and cannot find another one.

The key is speaking with a Jacksonville Florida Family Law Attorney as soon as you can to help negotiate your payments. The court often will only lower your payments, but not reduce any outstanding amount you already owe. If your income drop is only temporary, this might not be an issue; however, if you cannot find new work, you are simply adding more and more money to what you will eventually have to pay.