Recent Blog Posts
What to Do If the Judge in Your Divorce Trial Is Biased
If you have ever attended a social event at the workplace of one of your family members, you probably came away with the impression that your family member’s profession is a small world. For example, if your brother is a podiatrist, you might get the feeling that all the podiatrists in South Florida know… Read More »
What Happens to Your Alimony Obligations If Your Ex-Spouse’s Live-In Partner Dies?
Most alimony awards come with an automatic expiration date. For marriages shorter than seventeen years, the duration of the alimony cannot be longer than the duration of the marriage. Even in cases of permanent alimony, the recipient automatically loses the right to continue collecting alimony if he or she remarries, regardless of the financial… Read More »
Should the Court Impute Income Based on a Hypothetical Salaried Job to a Self-Employed Spouse?
Imputed income is, by nature, a moving target. It is the income an unemployed party in a divorce case would make if he or she were working. If the person also receives financial support from his or her parents or significant other, the court includes the amount of financial support the person receives in… Read More »
Moving to Florida After Your Divorce Does Not Erase Your Obligations to Your Ex-Spouse
There is a cliché that Florida is full of grandparents. With so many retirees in the Sunshine State, it is inevitable that some of them got divorced in another state before moving here. Not everyone who gets divorced is lucky enough to be able to make a clean break from their financial entanglements with… Read More »
Signed Agreements to Marry Your Affair Partner in the Future Are Not Enforceable
Before you marry your spouse, you can agree to almost anything in a prenuptial agreement. You can agree that real estate that you owned before the marriage will be yours if you divorce. You can agree not to seek alimony or specify the maximum amount that you will seek. You can agree not to… Read More »
When Your Ex Accuses You of Being Hysterical, Even Though Your Worries Are Perfectly Reasonable
If you didn’t disapprove of your ex-spouse’s behavior on some level, you probably would not have gotten divorced. Many divorced couples are misaligned when it comes to how much caution to exercise with their children. Aside from legally mandated safety requirements, the definitions of “dangerous” and “safe” are open to interpretation. For example, when… Read More »
Child Support Calculations Are Based on How Many Days Per Year the Children Are with You, Not How Many Days Per Month
A parenting plan is a legally binding agreement. If you wish to make any but the most minor changes to your parenting schedule, you must go through the courts to modify it officially. Former couples who get along well as co-parents might be somewhat flexible if, for example, one parent increases or decreases their… Read More »
The Trouble with Biased Judges in Florida Divorces
The right to a fair trial is a fundamental part of a democratic society. The judicial branch of the United States government was set up specifically so you would not have to worry about a despot shouting, “Off with your head!” before you even got a chance to speak. Unfortunately, not everyone gets a… Read More »
If You Lived Beyond Your Means When You Were Married, How Does the Court Determine Alimony?
Some people blame the “adultolescents” who live beyond their means while depending on their parents financially, and some blame the baby boomers who collected the benefits of their cushy jobs while letting the young generation scramble for paying gigs, but whatever the reason, most parents of minor children are in debt. When couples divorce,… Read More »
How Do Divorce Courts Divide Real Estate Properties with a Negative Value?
Real estate investing is risky. When you buy a property that you do not plan to inhabit, you are making assumptions about how economic conditions in the area where the property is located will be years, if not decades, in the future. The fluctuations of the real estate market can be stressful even for… Read More »
