You’re getting a divorce. Divorce is often a long, emotional, stressful process. Many times, people are so focused on the divorce process that they forget about the parts of their life that will not be covered in the divorce proceedings. Matters such as health care directives and estate planning will likely not be fully addressed […]
Retirement Accounts in Divorce: Assets or Income?
According to Florida law, retirement accounts can be treated as both an asset AND a source of income for alimony purposes. So, in the context of seeking alimony modification due to retirement, courts are correct to look at retirement accounts now in pay (distribution) status as sources of income for the alimony payor, even though […]
How Does Alimony In Florida Work?
Florida sets out the parameters for Alimony within Florida Statute § 61.08. When determining whether your case is subject to an award of alimony, there are many different factors to consider. Right now alimony, unlike child support, is not a black and white calculation. The analysis is more subjective and in general “need based.” To […]
Emotional Attachment To Assets In Divorce Negotiations
One of the things that happens when a couple gets a divorce is the separation of assets and liabilities. Prior to going to trial, the couple is ordered by the Court to attend mediation in order to allow the parties to resolve all, or as many issues as possible, before involving the Court. In mediation, […]
Overcoming Anger and Resentment
How essential is the ability of parents to put aside their personal feelings about each other and put the needs of their children first? You only need to look to Florida Statute 61.13 to see that the Court places great importance on parents being able to separate the feelings they have for each other with […]
Another Disappointing Year Without Alimony Reform In Florida
The Alimony Bill of 2015 is dead, a casualty of the budget battle in the Florida Legislature. Hopes were running high that this year the legislature would amend the alimony statute to make it more predictable and more fair to Florida citizens, but those hopes were dashed when the legislative session expired without the bill […]
I Just Filed For Divorce And Now My Wife Is Threatening To Leave And Take The Kids, What Can I Do?
Often times in divorce, when a Petition for Dissolution is filed, a judge may issue a Standing Temporary Order for Dissolution of Marriage. Within this order, among other things, the parties are ordered that “neither party may remove the children from their current residence without written agreement of both parents, or an order of this […]
What’s The Point Of Mediation?
Unless you go into mediation with the attitude that you know this isn’t going to work, mediation is a great opportunity to take your case out of the clutches of the legal system and put you back into ultimate control. Before walking into the mediation room, here are a few things to remember: The mediator […]
What About The Mortgage?
The marriage is over. Husband and Wife own a home, with a mortgage that has an outstanding balance. The Wife also has a 401(k) with a balance that’s roughly equal to the value of the home minus the debt. A solution may be to award the house to the Husband and the 401(k) to the […]
How Does Reunification Work In Cases Of Alienation?
If a parent has been absent from a child’s life for a significant time, it may be helpful to hire a mental health professional to assist the temporarily absent parent to reconnect with the child. Children, especially young children, who have not seen a parent for a long time, may be unsure of the parent […]