Family Law

Family Law Florida

Although most would associate the legal definition of family law dealing primarily with the break-up of a marriage, there are many other areas of practice that fall under this area of practice. Family law also deals with issues of paternity, emancipation, prenuptial and post-nuptial agreements, foster care and adoption.

For the purposes of this landing page, I want to introduce you to me, and the concerns associated with getting divorced. There are other pages on my website that address the other family law issues as well as a myriad of other legal issues, but it is important to know that I understand the hurtles you are facing, that I care, and that I can help. I am an attorney and a Florida Supreme Court Family Mediator.

While there may be many reasons for getting divorced from growing apart to financial concerns, Florida is a no-fault divorce state. In Florida, the marriage must be “irretrievably broken.” It does not require that one party prove the other was not faithful or committed some heinous act. However, there is always a reason and often very hurtful.

Getting a divorce is/can be a very stressful life event. If you are the petitioner (the person filing for divorce), there is usually something that has occurred that has either eroded the away the marital foundation over time or shattered the marital trust. People change and even though the marriage may have been great at one point, the relationship is broken.

If you are the respondent, it usually feels incredibly bad, like someone knocked the air out of you. How could he/she do this to me? No matter what, at this point, as hard as it may be to try cope with the reason, it is a reality. It is time to get help.

There are so many emotional and financial issues associated with the process which can make it seem devastating. Issues surface that were never a concern prior to filing for divorce. Who is responsible for making the decisions concerning our child’s health care, education, and after school activities? What about day care (where, when, who pays)? What about the custody of the children? How is the exchange of children from one parent to the other handled? Who pays child support? What about the marital home and mortgage? What about alimony? What about the other marital assets? Who pays the marital debt? What about a business that was created during the marriage or in place prior to the marriage? What about assets brought into the marriage are they nonmarital? What about property inherited by one of spouses? What about either parties 401K or other retirement benefits? These are just some of the issues that need to be addressed in a divorce.

When these issues are coupled with the emotional toll associated with the break-up of a marriage and the stresses associated with everyday life, it can feel overwhelming.

The solution is to call my office. Coping with the emotional issues associated with a divorce is difficult enough. Guidance, planning and solid legal representation will mitigate the stresses associated with process.

If you need help, give me a call. I appreciate you taking the time to find my website.