tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486507106820278462024-03-05T06:42:23.585-05:00Florida Divorce & Family Law BlogProviding insight to current events related to divorce and family law matters in Florida.Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.comBlogger465125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-8327766155726088902017-10-18T14:50:00.000-05:002017-10-18T14:50:17.129-05:00Modification of Parenting Plans, is there enough smoke to convince a judge that there is fire?One of the biggest dilemmas that I deal with in family law cases is when someone comes to me with their desire to modify the terms of the original parenting plan or time-sharing judgment. The Florida Statute governing this particular request is Fl. Stat. Sec. 61.13 which basically states that upon showing a substantial, permanent and unanticipated change of circumstances, a parenting plan can Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-59344952514720497132017-09-18T10:54:00.000-05:002017-09-18T10:54:33.854-05:00Parenting Plans, Hurricanes and the UnknownParenting Plans are required to be filed in Florida if you have kids. In a nutshell the Parenting Plan is supposed to be your road map when it comes to all kid related issues when you are divorced. Most parenting plans have basic information like regular schedules, holiday schedules, division of extracurricular activity costs, and other basic parenting essentials. What most parenting plans Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-90104176603327793802016-10-12T14:54:00.000-05:002016-10-12T14:54:04.095-05:00Financial Disclosure the Good, the Bad and the NecessaryLately I have found myself and my staff spending an extraordinary time dealing with financial disclosure issues. It is such an annoying thing to deal with because no matter how many documents are turned over in a case, only a handful are ever actually admitted into evidence or needed in a divorce, paternity or custody trial.
When a family matter is filed in Florida, Florida Rule of Family Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-44273001622036338032016-04-15T14:05:00.001-05:002016-04-15T14:05:51.949-05:00Governer Scott Vetoes Alimony and Child Timesharing Bill
Its been a while that I had reason to blog here and it seems that the latest reason is the same as the last reason. In the State of Florida there has been many attempts over the past few years to change and reform alimony. The latest version of the alimony reform bill that landed on Rick Scott's desk has been vetoed. The Bill contained a presumption that 50/50 timesharing is in a child's Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-38662321933425016532015-04-21T14:54:00.000-05:002015-04-21T14:56:24.860-05:00Long Term Marriage and Alimony ReformIf you are paying alimony, about to be paying alimony, or receiving alimony, I am sure that you have read all the latest on alimony reform in Florida. Everyone is talking about these wonderful calculations that will help put surety into the alimony system so that we can give clients floors and ceilings when determining an alimony amount. I am happy that we have floors and ceilings because as Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-46900986224404489682015-01-07T09:54:00.001-05:002015-01-07T09:54:48.523-05:00Same Sex Marriage In Florida!!! Florida on Monday became the thirty-sixth state to allow same-sex marriages, as a state court judge in Miami ordered a Dade County clerk to start issuing licenses to same-sex couples. This is something that Floridians have been waiting a long time for and it has become a reality. While there are still a great deal of people who are opposed to the idea of same sex couples being allowed to marry,Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-92081347658866565002014-09-02T15:13:00.000-05:002014-09-02T15:13:35.664-05:00Florida Most Expensive State to File DivorceI read online recently that Florida is the most expensive State to File for Divorce in. Here are the top ten:
10. Tennessee, $302
9. Utah, $310
8. Pennsylvania, $317
7. Arizona, $321
6. Louisiana, $324
5. New York, $335
4. Illinois, $337
3. California, $395
2. Minnesota, $402
1. Florida, $409
The price is actually higher than that because everything is electronically filed now and ifChristine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-76001601998026120352014-05-15T08:01:00.000-05:002014-05-15T08:01:38.256-05:00Same Sex Divorce Not Granted in Tampa, FloridaIn March I blogged about a case in Tampa, Florida wherein a gay couple was wishing to have a divorce granted by a Judge. The couple was married in Massachusetts and had a valid marriage in Massachusetts. They moved to Florida and are now residents of the State of Florida. They came to settlement terms and simply requested that the Judge ratify their agreement and grant them their divorce.Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-73063554567348560222014-03-27T11:19:00.000-05:002014-03-27T11:19:38.945-05:00Same Sex Marriage and Divorce in Florida?
Every now and then I come across an article that I think is interesting to the masses and not only to those people who believe that a divorce or separation is imminent. Today in Hillsborough County a same sex couple is attempting to dissolve their union that was solemnized in Massachusetts a few years ago. They have come to an agreement and are seeking an uncontested dissolution of theirChristine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-32957743291673160502013-11-27T10:25:00.002-05:002013-11-27T10:25:27.911-05:005 things that will drive divorcees nuts
I Recently came across an article about the things that drive divorce people crazy. I find that the five things that his writer finds to be annoying about their own divorce to be truly universal with most of the people and cases that I deal with on a daily basis. I am constantly telling my clients to take the high road, to not get bogged down in the little stuff and that they should in allChristine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-59973523268158113502013-08-14T15:05:00.003-05:002013-08-14T15:05:51.240-05:00Designation for other Legal Purposes v. School DesignationFlorida is a progressive state in that it does not recognize a primary parent or even a majority parent. We have time-sharing of children and in most cases, except those very unique cases, the parties also share parental responsibility. Because Florida is a progressive state, and because other State and Federal Laws have not caught up to the laws here in Florida, there is a requirement that Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-51739698746782199572013-07-30T15:49:00.000-05:002013-07-30T15:49:04.842-05:00Monkey in the Middle
Hi folks and happy summer!! I have been painfully absent from this blog for months and apologize for those of you who have been avid readers and like to know "what's new" in Florida family law.
I'd like to take the opportunity to welcome, Josh Martell, Esquire, to our firm who will be assisting with our practice, and will also be providing his services in the area of criminal law. He will Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-19124397876964641892013-03-22T12:40:00.000-05:002013-03-22T12:40:03.741-05:00Presumptive Best Interest of Child and Equal Time-SharingThere is no question that our family law statutes need to be reformed and that there is a great deal of "judicial discretion" in family law matters. Often times, the outcome of your case depends more on the judge that you have been assigned than the facts of your particular case. If you were to have your case in front of one judge, the outcome may be very different if you were to have your Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-52138885877954673022013-02-18T15:12:00.000-05:002013-02-18T15:12:00.217-05:00Business Relationship With Ex SpouseI think that one of the most difficult things for a couple to do after they have divorced is figure out how they are going to co-parent their children. Often times the fights, resentment and misunderstandings that happen post divorce are a result of a couple's failure to communicate differently after a divorce. Learning how to be in a business relationship with your ex spouse can be difficult Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-47579434796785528352012-11-09T17:24:00.000-05:002012-11-09T17:24:35.217-05:00Advice for Unwed FathersI recently heard a statistic that stated that more than 40% of children today are born to couples who are not married. While this percentage is lower if you are over 30 when you have your children or have a college degree, there is still a vast majority of people who are choosing to have their children before they get married or decide not to get married at all. This sometimes creates Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-84791599269697533072012-07-18T12:59:00.001-05:002012-07-18T12:59:13.703-05:00High Conflict Divorce and the Toxic Ex Spouse
There are some people who end up in court and litigation with there ex spouse for the length of time that their children are minors. Usually this involves both people arguing over everything. In some cases there is one person who wishes for peace, and the other parent who thrives on conflict. These high conflict people fight you over haircuts, pick up times, extracurricular activities, Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-81867499630855698252012-06-08T13:38:00.001-05:002012-06-08T13:38:57.486-05:00A Bird In Hand.....Getting Alimony UpfrontWe are in an era here as family law practitioners where a good portion of our practice consists of the modification of existing child support and alimony awards. People are losing jobs, losing homes, taking pay cuts, losing bonuses and other compensation that was previously used to determine a child support or alimony obligation. This is a big problem in cases where someone has received an Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-90150967962865452912012-01-03T13:39:00.004-05:002012-01-03T14:32:15.547-05:00Alimony Reform?Happy New Year! With the new year comes the annual discussion of whether or not there is a need to reform our Florida alimony laws. There is legislation currently pending that is trying to radically reform our current alimony laws. A link to the pending legislation can be found by clicking on the "Alimony Reform?" title above. All of us in the family law community have been discussing whether or Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-1788207245144338182011-12-05T12:18:00.004-05:002011-12-05T13:51:03.108-05:00Is Collaborative Divorce Right For You?Recently, I have had a lot of people come into my office to discuss whether or not a collaborative divorce is right for them. Most people do not even understand what collaborative divorce is, and before you can decide that it's right for you, you have to understand what it is. Defining it in its simplest terms, Collaborative divorce is a process driven by the parties that provides them with a Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-78500694648256152702011-08-16T14:28:00.006-05:002011-08-16T15:58:53.886-05:00Divorce, Depression and Suicide
In my efforts to find a topic to blog about today, at least three stories popped up when I searched Google regarding divorce related to suicides and murders. There is a saying in the family law community that family lawyers get to see good people at their worst and criminal attorneys get to see bad people at their best. I see people in all states, from irrationally angry to severely depressed. Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-83187502343328004802011-08-01T14:35:00.005-05:002011-08-01T15:02:54.526-05:00Issues with Gay Marriage?New York recently became the 6th state to allow gay couples to legally wed. That leaves 44 states that still do not recognize the union between two people of the same sex. This fact raises astronomical legal issues when it comes to divorce. I've fielded dozens of phone calls and had consultations with several gay men and women who were married in another state and now live in Florida. The sad Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-55582111683663278472011-06-09T10:07:00.003-05:002011-06-09T10:35:00.929-05:00The Curse of the Semi-Happy MarriageAs I was logging onto my yahoo account to get my dad's itinerary for his trip here in August, I came across an article about semi-happy marriages. I think the main point in the article is that marriages that are "comfortable" are responsible for a great deal of divorces. As a divorce attorney, I see a variety of different reasons for why marriages break up from adultery to massive financial Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-48423276427687701952011-05-23T12:17:00.003-05:002011-05-23T12:26:55.648-05:00Don't Sign That!!!!!Its been a while since I have blogged and I apologize for my absence from the Internet. I have a variety of different things that I would like to discuss here and I am going to make an effort over the next several months to have a new entry every Monday.With that being said, if anyone has any topics they would like to discuss, please feel free to email me here or email my work address at Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-50043090770247909102010-11-18T13:42:00.003-05:002010-11-18T14:14:29.496-05:00Divorce, Holidays and the KidsThe holiday season is upon us and many people are beginning the fight regarding who gets the kids, for how long and when. In Florida, if you have a court ordered holiday schedule, the holiday schedule will trump your regular schedule. Additionally, "holiday" contact is usually defined as the day the children are released from school until the day they return to school at the conclusion of the Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-67177815469406133182010-09-30T15:36:00.002-05:002010-09-30T19:17:01.599-05:00Questions and AnswersI recently blogged about changes to the Florida Child Support Guidelines that are going to be effective in January of 2011. This particular subject has hit a nerve with many of my readers and also generated quite a few questions. As a result, here are some answers to some of the questions that were posted as a result of the new law regarding child support and what constitutes substantial Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4