What Can I Do if My Ex Owes Me Alimony?
Many people, especially many obligors (people who pay support), think spousal support and child support are in separate categories. They almost view spousal support as optional. But under Florida law, these obligations have the same legal status. So, the same enforcement avenues, including contempt, are usually available for both these payments. Typically, obligees (people... Read More »
Recent Blog Posts
How to Establish Paternity in Florida
If you are a father to a child born out of wedlock, establishing legal paternity has a number of benefits. For example, only legal fathers have a right to receive information about the child’s development. In many jurisdictions, a mother can even put a child up for adoption without notifying a probable father, but… Read More »
Co-Parenting Roles in Florida: A Closer Look
In the first half of the twentieth century, divorced fathers almost always received full custody of their children. Women had few legal or financial rights at the time. After World War II, the pendulum swung in the other direction, with the advent of the tender years doctrine. In this environment, divorced mothers almost always… Read More »
Property Division Contempt Proceedings in Seminole County
A final decree of divorce almost never ends a marriage dissolution matter. Generally, these orders should be legally modified every few years. Additionally, a motion to enforce the decree, particularly property division matters, is often necessary. That’s especially true following either default divorces or trial resolutions. Many respondents do not fully acknowledge the court’s… Read More »
Common Timesharing Arrangements in Seminole County
Modern American family law probably began in 1969, when then-Governor Ronald Reagan signed the nation’s first no-fault divorce law. Some people speculate that Reagan’s own painful split from actress Jane Wyman, who obtained a divorce based on cruel treatment, may have influenced his decision. The California family law revolution continued a few years later,… Read More »
Should I File a Paternity Action in Maitland?
As the marriage rate has fallen in the United States, the out-of-wedlock birth rate has risen above 40 percent. The proportion is much higher among certain ethnic groups. While such births have lost most or all of their social stigma, these mothers still face significant emotional, legal, and financial issues, at least in most… Read More »
Top Five Reasons to Pursue Paternity Actions in Orange County
Among certain ethnic groups, most children are born out of wedlock. Many of these mothers should probably file paternity actions. Even if the father signs the birth certificate, that man may not be the legal father. But there are many reasons many women hesitate to do so. Some fear that an abusive father may… Read More »
When Can an Orange County Judge Issue a Contempt Order?
Essentially, contempt of court is a steadfast refusal to obey a court order. For example, if a party is one day late on one spousal support payment, he is technically in contempt of court. But most judges would not issue such an order unless the party had missed several payments and if he, or… Read More »
Five Rights Mothers Have in Paternity Actions
Single parenting is not easy. In many cases, however, being a single parent is easier than counting on an unreliable parent partner. But in many other cases, any help, especially financial help, is much appreciated. A paternity action is usually the best way to guarantee such help. Unless there is an enforceable court order… Read More »
Explaining Contempt of Court Charges in Orange County
Some people may recall Kim Davis, the former Rowan County, Kentucky clerk. In 2015, she refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. As a result, a judge put her in jail, not because of her religious beliefs, but because she refused to obey a lawful order from the United States Supreme Court. U.S…. Read More »
What You Need to Know About Alimony in Orange County
In mid and late 2018, as the alimony tax deduction loomed, many people predicted an end-of-year divorce spike and earth-shattering consequences for families in 2019 and beyond. The divorce spike did not materialize. And, so far, the tax deduction change has had few repercussions in Florida family law. So, it appears that it will… Read More »