Family Law
Whether you’re going through a divorce or dealing with another family legal issue, a lawyer with knowledge and experience can make all the difference in helping you achieve a favorable outcome.
Divorce
Each divorce is different. We will help you pursue your desired outcome on issues like child custody and visitation, child support, spousal support, and property division under Florida’s equitable distribution laws. We seek negotiated settlements whenever possible, but are ready to stand up for you in court.
Military Divorce and Retirement
Our firm handles all issues related to military divorce cases, including the division of property, assets and retirement benefits. The retirement benefits of military personnel and their spouses are complex and unique. We understand the rules and can help you pursue the benefits you deserve.
Child Custody and Visitation (Time Sharing)
Florida now uses the term “time-sharing” to describe custody and visitation matters, though the issues at the heart of the matter remain the same. When a child’s parents separate, the family courts seek parenting plans that reflect the best interests of the child. Like child support, this is often an important issue to couples seeking to divorce or separate, as well as those seeking to establish paternity. It is not unusual during the pendency of the legal proceedings for the court to maintain the status quo. Therefore, if the parties are rotating time sharing after the parties separate the court may continue this arrangement until the matter gets scheduled for a final hearing. A 50/50 time-sharing schedule is viewed more favorably now by the courts than in the past, especially on a temporary basis while the case is pending.
Modification
If an established family law order requires altering, the request for modification must go through the courts to change. We handle the modification of child support, child custody (time sharing), visitation and alimony orders for clients seeking the modification or attempting to defend the modification.
Relocation issues
When a parent wants to move more than 50 miles with his or her child, he or she must go through the courts to obtain a legal relocation or obtain the consent of the other parent. Florida Statutes 61.13001 govern relocations.
Paternity
If a child is born to an unmarried mother, the father may acknowledge paternity at birth, or a paternity action can be brought in family court to ensure that the child gets the care and support of both parents. If the father does not admit paternity, then a proper DNA test has to be administered to determine paternity. The court can then establish child custody (time sharing) and child support orders. An indication of a father’s name on a birth certificate is evidence of paternity, but it is not proof.
Domestic violence
A domestic violence protective order can keep the accused person out of his or her home for up to a year with the threat of criminal penalties. We represent both sides in domestic violence disputes.
Appeals
Whether your case is family, criminal, or civil, the appeals process is governed by the same standard. Your attorney must allege, based on the record of the trial, that the trial judge made an error in interpreting or applying the law. The appeals court will then evaluate that argument. If you are looking to appeal a trial court decision that went against you and the attorney who represented you at trial is not prepared to handle the appeal, we can step in and take your case at the appeal stage.