Florida Statute 61.13003 allows the Court to order electronic communication between a parent and a child. This communication can be via email, text messages, Skype or any other form of electronic media available to both parents. With older children, this is relatively easy as they often communicate with their friends via social media. With very […]
Tag: Florida Family Law
Felice v. Sutherland Pullen Law, PLLC
The following is a charging lien case. The trial court granted a charging lien to be applied to the Husband’s homesteaded property. The appellate court reversed the application of the charging lien to homestead property, citing a prior case that had ruled a waiver of homestead is ineffective in an unsecured debt transaction. The lien […]
Brewer v. Chastain
In the attached case we are reminded once again that “repeat violence” has a specific statutory meaning, and that Petitions that do not properly allege repeat violence as the statute defines it will not be granted. Read More: Brewer-v-Chastain
Pashtenko v. Pashtenko
In the following appeal involving a Petition for Injunction for Protection Against Stalking, the trial court’s summary denial of the Petition is reversed because the Petition alleged sufficient grounds to grant the petition. The trial court’s cited grounds for denial were inapplicable to this type of injunction. The Injunction should not have been summarily denied. […]
Holiday Gift Giving
The holiday season is upon us. If you are in the middle of a divorce or paternity case, you are likely feeling pressure to make the holidays extra special. You may be tempted to overspend on gifts for your children in order to make up for the confusion they are feeling or for “breaking up” […]
Ayra v. Ayra
In the following alimony case, the trial court erred by finding that the Wife did not have a need for alimony. This was a long-term marriage, and in such cases an initial presumption in favor of permanent alimony arises. The long-term duration of the parties’ marriage, coupled with the potential future needs of the Former […]
Corporations In Divorce
These days it is not unusual for a married couple to have one or more businesses that are incorporated as Corporations or Limited Liability Companies (LLC). When divorce comes up, a question should be asked “should the corporation be made a party?” If a spouse wants to have property that is owned by a corporation […]
Moral Fitness Of Parents
Florida Statute 61.13(3) sets forth 20 factors that the Court must use when determining a parenting plan and parental responsibility. One factor is F.S. 61.13(3)(f): the “moral fitness” of the parents. Different families will have different views of what is proper moral behavior and what is not. So, how does the Court determine when the […]
Court Ordered Child Support Beyond Age 18: A Real Possibility In Many Cases
Many parents are of the belief that child support terminates immediately upon the minor child reaching age 18. However, the state of Florida does permit extensions of child support beyond the age of majority in certain circumstances. F.S. 743.07 provides: (1) The disability of nonage is hereby removed for all persons in this state who are […]
Modifiability Of Asset And Liability Distribution
Simply put, when a Final Judgment is entered which distributes the marital assets and liabilities to the now-former spouses, the trial court loses the ability (jurisdiction) to modify the distribution at some later date. There are a few exceptions to that general rule, but the exceptions would only apply in very narrow situations. Absent those […]