Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer Blog

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

In Florida, a Birth Certificate signed by both a mother and father lays a presumption that the one signing as the father is the child's biological father, however, it does not lay a foundation for the father to have rights or obligations to the child in the eyes of the law. Therefore, if you have a child and are no longer in a relationship with you child's father and you were never married, then you must establish that the father's paternity in order to establish his obligation to pay child support.

In order to establish paternity, you must file a petition with the court alleging paternity of the respondent and seek support for the child. The alleged father can file a counter-petition for timesharing (previously known as visitation).
If you choose not to establish paternity of the alleged father, then he does have the right to file a petition for determination of paternity so that he may establish his rights to the child. Once those rights are established, the obligation for support follows. Until either you or the father file for said establishment of paternity, the father has no legal recognition as the child's father. However, if you ever seek assistance from the State of Florida, such as Medicaid, then the The State of Florida may require a petition for determination of paternity in order to protect the State from having to pay assistance for a child that another individual is obligated to support.

Continue reading " Florida Mother's Can Seek Child Support Through Establishment of Paternity " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

Alimony is a common factor in Florida divorce cases. Alimony or spousal support is determined using a number of statutory factors, including but not limited to the lifestyle of the parties during the marriage, the length of the marriage, the contribution of each spouse to the marriage, etc. Once alimony is determined, the Florida court awards that amount to the needing spouse and it is often in place until the end of time specified in the order. However, given certain circumstances, the alimony amount can be modified if there is substantial change in circumstance.

Florida Statute 61.14 provides for a modification of alimony or spousal support if certain factor are presented to the court and the threshold is met. Modifications in alimony can be a request by the needing party for an increase in support or the payor may request a decrease of the alimony amount. In order to establish a modification, the moving party must allege a substantial change in circumstance has occurred for the decrease or increase of spousal support to be changed. For example, if spousal support was awarded and the paying party discovers that the receiving party is cohabiting or residing with another person in a supportive manner.
Florida Statute 61.14 identifies a supportive relationship and provides actual provisions under which alimony may be terminated. These include, but are not limited to the following:

1. A supportive relationship exists between the party receiving alimony and the person s/he lives with.
2. In determining the degree of support, the court is allowed to find out the nature of the relationship between the alimony receiving party and the person with whom their is a supportive relationship (spouse, girl/boyfriend, friend, family member, etc.).
3. The relationship can be determined by how the two individuals hold themselves out in society, but still does not recognize common law marriage.

There are other factors used in determining a change in alimony or spousal support and it is best to speak with a qualified family law attorney regarding such issues before proceeding.

Continue reading " In Florida, When Can Alimony Be Modified or Changed? " »

Five years after the Mogul Pop Star married music executive Jordan Bratman, Christina Aguilera settled her divorce on Valentine's Day of all days. After all, five years is a long time to be married anyway and what could be a more romantic present for her new beau Matt Rutler. It's been reported that Christina, Jordan, and Matt have been living in the same house until recently. The thought of that doesn't exactly conjure up a light-hearted "Three's Company" episode. However, things are looking up for the recently troubled starlet as this marriage winds down and Jordan finally moves out.

Christina and soon to be ex-husband Jordan have a three year old child together. According to the agreement they will be sharing custody of the child. The couple had a prenuptial agreement and although the exact settlement terms have not been reported, Jordan is rumored to be getting a little something above and beyond what the prenup called for.

Prenuptial agreements in Florida are valid documents that hold a lot of weight when things don't last. It's important to have an experienced attorney draft the terms if you want to avoid some of the common pitfalls that can arise. There are also certain things that you cannot do in a Florida prenuptial agreement. The best thing about a prenup is it avoids lengthy divorce litigation.

As in Christina Aguilera's divorce, the tough stuff is finished, the couple need only wait until April 15, 2011 when they will both be legally single under California law. There was no lengthy legal battle with an uncertain ending as in the highly publicized Kelsey Grammer divorce. Prenups are a great way to avoid litigation in which you may spend much a lot of the money each spouse might have otherwise walked away with.

Continue reading " Christina Aguilera Settles Her Divorce, You Can Too With A Florida Prenup " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

Florida enforcement of child support can be brought through a Motion for Contempt if the responsible parent, the obligor, fails to pay child support per the order of child support entered by the Court. When a child support order is entered, it is done so based on the reported income of each parent and if an issue of nonpayment arises, then there is a presumption by the Court that the obligor maintains the ability to pay and it is up to that parent to prove otherwise.

If the obligor informs the court that s/he is unemployed or underemployed involuntarily, then the Judge may order that party to do the following:

1. Look for employment
2. File reports with the court, or the Florida Department of Revenue if the obligor is in receipt of Title IV services, that explain the party's efforts in the search for employment.
3. Provide notification to the Court once employment is found.
4. Take part in programs that provide job training, placement, work experience or other similar programs that may be available to the obligor (chapters 445 and 446 of the Florida Statutes).

If the obligor voluntarily and unilaterally decides not to comply with the Court's order, then s/he may be held in contempt. Contempt matters can range in punishment, but can include time in jail, with a purge or release amount totaling the owed child support amount.

Continue reading " Florida's Enforcement of Child Support - Motion for Contempt " »

One concern a lot of my clients have is how to protect their business in the event they get divorced from their spouse. Under Florida law, a business acquired during the marriage is marital property and should not be distributed to only one party.

The first thing the court must do is identify the asset as a marital asset. This was held in the decision of Esposito v. Esposito, 651 So 2d 1248 (Fla 2d DCA 1995). It doesn't make sense though that the parties should be left running the business together after the divorce is finalized. Therefore, the court must value the business asset and then determine the distribution to the spouses.

Once the court makes the determination of what portion of the business is marital it can then determine the value. The valuation of the business as a marital asset must be determined through the presentation of competent substantial evidence to the court. After this value is determined the court will distribute the interests according to the principles of equitable distribution. This may include setoffs among other assets of the marriage or forms of alimony to compensate for one spouse's distribution without disturbing the business.

Continue reading " Businesses In Florida Divorce " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

Florida divorce cases involving children, child support cases and paternity cases often provide for support of the children based on Florida Child Support Guidelines in Florida Statute 61.30. However, the guidelines do not address medical expenses regarding the children, except for health insurance coverage purposes. So, how does Florida divide the parental financial responsibility for uncovered medical expenses for the children?

Often, agreements reached by the parties will include language that the parties are required to equally split the uncovered medical bills. These issues recently came up in the Florida 2nd District Court of Appeals, which ruled that uncovered medical expenses should be divided in relation to each parents percentage of income, as in the child support guidelines. Zinovoy v. Zinovy, 36 FLW D34 (Fla. 2nd DCA, December 29, 2010).

So, what does this mean? Florida child support is based on the overall income of the parents. Basically, if each parent makes $5,000 per month, then the overall monthly household income is $10,000 and each parent is 50% responsibility for that amount. So, their children's uncovered medical expenses would be divided 50/50. If one parent makes $4,000 per month and the other makes $6,000 per month, then the uncovered medical expenses would be divided 40/60. This helps maintain a fair balance based on the incomes of the parents.

Continue reading " How Are Uncovered Medical Expenses Divided in Florida Cases Invovling Children " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

If you live and Florida and have filed for divorce and now have an agreement regarding the dissolution of marriage, then you may be attending a final hearing on the Consent Final Judgment. If you have reached an agreement that has been finalized in writing, then the next step is for one party to attend a final hearing. A final hearing requires testimony, but it is limited to the following:

Testimony and proof to the court that you were a resident of Florida for at least six (6) months before the filing of the divorce. In order to show the court that you have met the residency requirement, you must provide proof of residency with a Florida driver’s license, Florida voter registration card, etc. This allows the Judge to know that you have met the residency requirement per Florida Statute 61.021.

Testimony must be given to the Court that the marriage is irretrievably broken. You may be asked to explain why and a simple answer can be provided, such as, “We no longer love one another.” The Judge does not need to have full details for reason you are seeking a divorce.

If there are children born or expected of the marriage or the testifying party denies that the marriage is irretrievably broken, then the Court may do the following:

a) Order one or both parties to attend counseling
b) Continue the divorce proceedings for a reasonable period of time, often three (3) months.
c) Other action found reasonable and in the best interest of the children

The only thing left to testify to is whether you have actually reached an agreement and that the order presented to the Court formalizes the agreement in writing. You may be asked whether it properly lays out alimony, child support, timesharing and parenting plans, and distribution of marital property. Also, you must testify that the signatures on the agreement are yours and the other party’s.

Maybe I was the only one who wasn't aware that Charlie Sheen was still married while listening to recent accounts of his exploits with a house full of porn stars and a pile of cocaine that sent him into rehab last month. Then again, this is Florida and that's California....I guess things are a little different in Jacksonville. California law says that a married couple cannot get divorced until at least six months after the divorce papers were filed. In other states the wait is longer. Nevertheless, Charlie Sheen's divorce from Brooke Mueller is final.

According to news reports, Charlie Sheen will have to pay his ex $55,000 per month in child support and $750,000 in lump sum alimony. It is also reported that they will share custody of their twin sons who will be two years old next month. The couple had signed a prenuptial agreement prior to getting married. That is a good thing for Charlie Sheen who is reportedly the highest paid actor on television and makes upwards of one million dollars per episode acting on the popular show "Two And A Half Men". Under California law, his wife would have been entitled to half of anything he made while they were married. Thanks to his prenuptial agreement she will only get a small portion of those earnings.

Continue reading " Charlie Sheen's Divorce Finalized? " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

requirements before filing are that at least one party must be a resident of Florida for at least six (6) months prior to filing a petition and that the marriage is irretrievably broken.

If the marriage is not irretrievably broken, meaning that there is a chance you may get back together, then the Court may require you attend counseling and postpone the divorce proceedings for a reasonable period of time, often three (3) months.
If the Court orders marital counseling or counseling for one of the parties, then the petition is not thrown out, but is put on hold for the time established by the Court.

If you go to counseling for less than the time ordered by the Court and know that you would like to proceed with the divorce, then you may speak with your lawyer about filing a Motion with the Court to allow the divorce to continue.

If you are able to amicably resolve the divorce issues and reach an agreement prior to the trial, then you or your spouse will have to testify that the marriage is irretrievably broken. If that fact is denied to the Judge, then you may be ordered back to marital counseling. However, if the testimony to the court is that the marriage is broken irretrievably, then the Court will most likely enter the agreement as an order of divorce.

Continue reading " In a Florida Divorce, Is Counseling Required? " »

This is a concept that a lot of clients have trouble grasping. Under the Florida Family Law Rules these are two separate and distinct concepts. Parental responsibility involves the parents' involvement in the major decisions in the child's life including health care, school, child care, etc. In Florida there are three types of parental responsibility:

1) Sole Parental Responsibility- for one parent over all aspects of the child's life;
2) Shared Parental Responsibility- where the parents jointly make decisions on all parenting decisions; or
3) Shared Parental Responsibility With Ultimate Responsibility- for one parent or the other over certain aspects of the child's life or over all aspects, if the parents do not agree on decisions in those aspects of the child's life.

There are often situations where one parent has shared parental responsibility but has less than 50% of the timesharing and may only see the child or children every other weekend. Timesharing on the other hand is the amount of time the child spends with each parent. Timesharing is established by submitting a parenting plan to the court that has been either agreed upon by the parties or for a judge to make a determination on. Once timesharing is ordered the parents must abide to the schedule set forth in the parenting plan unless they agree to modifications.

Continue reading " The Difference Between Timesharing and Parental Responsibility In Florida Family Law. " »

Florida paternity and divorce cases involving children require child support to be calculated. Child support is based on the income of both parties and in order to establish that the Court does not simply accept testimony. So, how do parties actually provide proof of their individual incomes?

Florida divorces are ruled by Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, which requires that both parties file a financial affidavit. A financial affidavit details the monthly expenses of the individuals including their income and expenses. In addition to personal expenses, the financial affidavit requires the children’s expenses be calculated as well. That way the court knows which parent is paying for childcare and the child’s health insurance, which all goes into the child support calculation. Since it is an affidavit, the parties must sign and have the affidavit notarized.

In addition to the financial affidavit, the parties are required to provide documentation outlined in Mandatory Disclosure, also detailed in the Florida Rules of Family Procedure. Some of the documents required are the following:

a) At least three (3) months of bank statements for all accounts held individually and jointly. Joint accounts are any accounts with the party’s name on them, including those held for elderly family members.
b) At least three (3) months of paycheck stubs. If you are paid hourly and work overtime, it is a good idea to provide as many months as possible.
c) Any and all loan applications filled out by the individual or done as a cosigner. This documentation often has questions related to your income and allows the Court to see what type of loans you may have outstanding.

All of these items help establish the actual income of each party and what the children’s needs are. Child support is based on the combined income of the parties and what each individual’s percentage of contribution is to that combined amount.

Continue reading " Florida Child Support Cases Require Filing a Financial Affidavit and Complying with Mandatory Disclosure Documents " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

As a Jacksonville, Florida family law attorney, I represent clients in paternity, child support and divorce cases. Payment of obligations for child support and alimony seem to weigh on both parties because one needs the support and the other wants to make certain payments are made on time so there are no future actions for lack of payment. The answer is that Florida does allow income deduction orders to be entered against the party responsible for payment, which means that wages can be garnished for the support. Income deduction is an easy way for the obligor to pay the money owed and it allows the money to be direct deposited into the proper account. In addition, it allows for proper accounting of all monies paid so that accusations of nonpayment can be properly defended.
According to Florida Statute 61.103, an income deduction order can be entered in connection with an order that establishes the support obligation for child support or alimony. The income deduction order must state that an order for the obligation has been entered by the court and it must include the date the order was entered, the court that entered the order (i.e.

Jacksonville is the Fourth Judicial Circuit) and it must provide the court number associated with the original order.
Once the income deduction order is entered, the court must furnish the obligor with a statement rights and remedies associated therewith and provide details of the fees associated with the deduction, the amount to be deducted, that notice will be given to the obligor's employer and that subsequent employers must be notified by the obligor, and other factors related to Title IV-D cases.
Income deduction orders can be a good tool used by both parties in a divorce, paternity or child support case because it helps protect the interests of both parties. and

Continue reading " Florida Allows Income Deduction for Child Support and Alimony Obligations from Paternity and Divorce Actions " »

Who gets the home in a Florida Divorce? This a common question in most of my clients' cases. The answer is not that simple. The Court usually begins with the premise that the division of the home should be equal. Understandably, this raises a number of additional questions: How do we divide the house?; Do we sell it?; Who gets to live in the home if we can't sell it or do not want to sell it?; and What if we can't afford two separate households?

If there are minor children of the marriage the Court has to take into consideration who the children will be living with. The Court must consider whether it is in the best interests of the minor child for the parent with majority timesharing to remain in the marital home. Generally, absent compelling financial circumstances, the parent with the majority timesharing will retain the use and possession of the marital home until the minor child or children reaches majority or the parent remarries.

Continue reading " Florida Divorce: Who Gets The House? " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

Filing for divorce in Florida? Florida Statute 61.052 lays the ground work for filing for divorce in Florida. First, you must qualify by being a resident of Florida for at least six (6) months before filing a petition, then you must meet the requirements for a divorce to be granted.

In order to start a divorce, one party must file a petition for dissolution of marriage, which should allege the following: that the marriage is irretrievably broken or one spouse was adjudged mentally incapacitated at least three (3) years preceding the petition; whether there were children born, adopted or expected from the marriage; request for alimony; request child support; request for timesharing/parent plan; equitable distribution of marital assets and debts or unequal if there is a legitimate basis for the request (depletion of marital assets by one party); and any additional requests that may be sought.

The party that is served with the petition must file an answer to the petition within 20 days of the date of service. That party may also file a counter-petition requesting the same or similar things as those pled in the initial petition. If a counter-petition is filed, then an answer must also be filed to that petition within 20 days. Once everything is filed, then you can move on with the divorce by asking for a trial date.

During the time between filing a petition and before trial, there is a period of discovery, where both sides must provide documentation of their assets and debts along with a financial affidavit. There is a timeframe for all of the proper documentation to be provided to the other side.

Prior to attending a final hearing, the judge will require that you attend mediation to possibly settle the case before trial. Mediation is a chance for a neutral third party to assist both sides in working through some of the issues and hopefully settle their case without a trial.

Continue reading " Requirements for Filing for Divorce in Florida " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

In Florida, to file for divorce, you must reside in the State for at least six (6) months prior to filing a petition with the court. The Florida residency requirement only requires one of the parties to have residence in Florida, to file here and actions can be brought against a party that resides outside of Florida.
An example would be if you and your spouse live in New York and decide to separate and during the separation you move to Florida for at least six (6) months, then you can file for divorce in Florida though your spouse still resides in New York. Typically, if there is an issue with children, the matters involving the children will be in the court where the children physically reside. However, the actual divorce, equitable distribution of assets, etc. can be decided by a Florida court.
The easiest method of proving your residence is by showing the Court a Florida drivers license. If you do not have one or it was not issued six months prior to your filing for divorce, then you can use the following: lease agreement that signed and dated; utility bill, in your name; or anything that may show the court that you have actually resided in Florida for six (6) months. If you do not have one of those available, then you may have a signed affidavit by someone that can attest that you have lived in Florida for the required time.

Continue reading " Florida Residency Requirement for Filing Divorce " »

Florida Statute 61.079 governs premarital agreements in Florida.The definition of a premarital agreement per the statute is "an agreement between prospective spouses made in contemplation of marriage and to be effective upon marriage". The agreement must be in writing and signed by both parties and is enforceable with no other consideration than the marriage itself.

The parties to a premarital agreement can contract with respect to property and its disposition, spousal support, the making of a will or trust to carry out the agreement, benefits from life insurance policies, the choice of law governing the agreement, and any other rights not in violation of law or public policy. Premarital agreements can be amended after the marriage with the consent of both parties.

Whether you need a premarital agreement in Florida is a personal decision. There is no right or wrong answer to the question posed in this article. However, you should take a careful look at your particular situation to decide if you need one. Some factors to consider are:
1) Disparity in income between the parties,
2) Whether one spouse has a number of family heirlooms that are valuable or a prior inheritance,
3) Prior marriages and debts,
4) Whether you are getting married for love or necessity (ie. unplanned pregnancy or immigration issue),
5) Extensive premarital assets including retirement benefits, or
6) One spouse owns a business and doesn't want to risk the other spouse getting an interest in a divorce.

Failing to plan in any of the above scenarios could cost you a bundle should you go your separate ways.

Continue reading " Do I Need A Prenuptial Agreement In A Florida Divorce? " »

Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney

In Florida divorce, paternity, modification or other family law cases involving children, if the parents cannot agree on a parenting and time-sharing plan, then the Court may order a social investigation per Florida Statute 61.20.

A social investigation can be a helpful tool in deciding where the children will reside the majority of the time. When the court orders a social investigation, then the court may appoint the individual handling the investigation by the court's own preference or by agreement of the parties. When the investigation is ordered by the court, the investigator is required to be a qualified staff of the court; an agency that works in child placement and licensed under Florida Statute 409.175; a licensed psychologist; or a licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family counselor, or mental health therapist.

Once the investigator is appointed, the parties and children will attend sessions with the individual and a final report with recommendations for a parenting and time-sharing plan will be provided to the parties and to the court. While the investigation is helpful and often relied upon, it is not a final statement of what will be ordered by the court. The parties can still discuss the parenting and time-sharing plan and may agree on terms that were not necessarily recommended in the report. The court may also review the report and deviate from the recommendations if the parties are still not able to reach an agreement. What the report does provide is a detailed analysis of the situation so that the court can ultimately rule in the best interest of the children, which is the standard in Florida for determining issues involving children.

Continue reading " A Social Investigation for a Parenting and Time-Sharing Plan is a Helpful Tool in Florida Divorce, Paternity and Modification Cases " »

Jacksonville, Florida is in the Fourth Judicial Circuit of courts, prior to the 2007 legislative change from visitation to time-sharing, there was a standard visitation guidelines established by the court. Since time-sharing is a new concept for many people in Florida, the idea of the old “standard visitation schedule” seems to be used frequently in establishing a time-sharing plan. Because such schedules were developed by the court, each circuit court of Florida that used one had something different than the other. The difficulty I see with this issue is that often one parent will do research, find a schedule for visitation and try to apply it without court action. I often have clients call and ask me what “standard visitation,” is because the other parent told them that is what they have to do. Since there are different versions out there, often times my client does not know which one the other parent is even using. The legislative change to establish a time-sharing plan is designed to assist in this issue.

First, the Fourth Judicial Circuit visitation guidelines basically provided the minimum amount of visitation for the non-residential parent. According to this circuit, again each had their own standard; the non-residential parent received the following:
One day per week from after school got out until 8 p.m. one night per week, typically Wednesday; alternating weekends; alternating Thanksgiving from the day school got out until the day before returning to school; alternating Christmas break with one year from the day school got out until Christmas day at 3:00 p.m. and the next from 3:00 p.m. Christmas day through the day before school started; one-half summer and the other parent received alternating weekends; Mother’s Day with mom and Father’s day with dad; alternating birthdays; and other provisions.

If the standard visitation schedule was not working, often parents did not know what else to do because this was the court order and that is what they were going to follow. A time-sharing plan can still use these same ideas; however, it is designed to think through matters more intently so that parents can actually have time with the children greater than a minimum amount. Furthermore, some families celebrate different holidays than those accounted for in the above schedule, so the time-sharing plan takes those factors into consideration. The other thing that a time-sharing plan can assist with is developing a schedule that accommodates the parents and children since they often have more activities the older they get.

In dealing with any matter regarding children, the first step is to determine what the children’s needs are and go from there. Establishing a plan that makes sense on paper does not mean that it is going to be the right schedule in practice. Life is filled with the unexpected and having two households means that the unexpected can happen twice as often. Working through a time-sharing plan allows the parties to think through real issues before going in front of a judge and the plan can often be tweaked by agreement of the parties. In addition, it is an option to place in the plan that if the parties cannot agree on changes, then they will first go to mediation before filing for a modification of time-sharing with the court. This gives an opportunity for the parents to work through their disagreement with a neutral third party and hopefully, ultimately agree on a plan that will work.

It is not a good idea to inform the other party that you are making them go to guideline visitation because they will not understand and will not know to which set of guidelines you are referring. If you provide the parent with the guidelines that you wish to use, then allow him or her time to look over them and decide if they are agreeable. If you both have lawyers, then have yours provide your proposal to the other attorney. This can help in reaching the right time-sharing plan for both parties.

Continue reading " Florida Visitation Guidelines and Time-Sharing Plan " »