On September 10, 2015, Florida Senator Tom Lee filed an alimony reform bill with the legislature for its consideration during the 2016 legislative session, which begins in January 2016. The bill, as filed, is largely identical to the alimony reform bill that Senator Lee filed before the 2015 legislative session. The 2015 bill never made […]
Tag: Florida Family Law
Hooker v. Hooker
An interspousal gift is established by showing “ ‘(1) donative intent, (2) delivery or possession of the gift, and (3) surrender of dominion and control of the gift.’ “ Vigo v. Vigo, 15 So.3d 619, 622 (Fla. 3d DCA 2009) (quoting Mills v. Mills, 845 So.2d 230, 233 (Fla. 3d DCA 2003)). The burden is […]
How To Employ Your Family Law Attorney Effectively In a Divorce Case
Going through a divorce is likely to be one of the most stressful times in your life. No matter how long you have been married, a divorce results in an upheaval of almost every aspect of your life. Because your attorney is your advocate and has been hired to fight to protect your rights during […]
My child says that he/she wants to live with me. Can’t the court just let my child decide where he/she wants to live?
The court will not simply take your child’s preference on where he/she wants to live as the only controlling factor to consider. Children are generally not capable of knowing what is in their own best interest. It is up to parents, or the Court, to make the necessary decisions for the minor children, until they […]
Full Custody
The above statement is something that is heard often by many Florida family law professionals, and each time it comes up, the following needs to be explained. The word “custody” in Florida law is an archaic term, and although it is obsolete, it seems like it simply won’t go away. This is likely because the […]
How to properly relocate from the State of Florida when you have children.
Florida sets out the requirements for relocation within Florida Statute § 61.13001. This statute applies to you if your intended relocation destination is 50 miles, or more, away from the last residence that you used in establishing your timesharing, or at the time of the filing of such a petition. Moreover, this statute also applies […]
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 […]
Ellisen v. Ellisen
The trial court in the attached case misconstrued the pleadings, and denied a petition for modification of alimony based upon the wrong legal standard. When modification of an existing order of support is sought, the proof required to modify a settlement agreement and the proof required to modify an award established by court order shall […]
Gerber v. Gerber
In the following case, the Former Husband was held in contempt of an order regarding the repayment of medical expenses. However, the contempt finding was premature in that the finding of contempt occurred in the same hearing as a clarification of the order at issue. An order that is indefinite or ambiguous may not be […]