tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3486507106820278462012-01-29T11:30:00.993-05:00Providing insight to current events related to divorce and family law matters in Florida.Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.comBlogger4481100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-90150967962865452912012-01-03T13:39:00.004-05:002012-01-03T14:32:15.547-05:00

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.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-1788207245144338182011-12-05T12:18:00.004-05:002011-12-05T13:51:03.108-05:00

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.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-78500694648256152702011-08-16T14:28:00.006-05:002011-08-16T15:58:53.886-05:00

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-83187502343328004802011-08-01T14:35:00.005-05:002011-08-01T15:02:54.526-05:00

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-55582111683663278472011-06-09T10:07:00.003-05:002011-06-09T10:35:00.929-05:00

As 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-48423276427687701952011-05-23T12:17:00.003-05:002011-05-23T12:26:55.648-05:00

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-50043090770247909102010-11-18T13:42:00.003-05:002010-11-18T14:14:29.496-05:00

The 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.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-67177815469406133182010-09-30T15:36:00.002-05:002010-09-30T19:17:01.599-05:00

I 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.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-29316004924627810122010-09-02T14:57:00.003-05:002010-09-02T15:18:02.217-05:00

I was reading an article recently about a father whose daughter was taken out of the country by his ex-wife and his efforts to have his daughter returned to him here in Florida. What was staggering to me in that article was a statistic from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children which stated that in 2009 there were 1621 children that were wrongfully taken out of United States by a

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-90706288074043939882010-07-23T12:10:00.004-05:002010-07-23T12:23:23.580-05:00

Summer in Florida, like in many other states, affords divorced parents the opportunity to spend blocks of quality time with their children. Most of my clients equally divide up the summer with the children spending half of their time with each parent. This is usually a time for summer trips, bonding and giving a parent who has the children primarily during the school year a much needed break.

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-41924831073171365592010-07-16T13:26:00.006-05:002010-07-16T14:18:49.436-05:00

There is plenty of research out there that sets forth very disappointing statistics about couples with special needs children and divorce. Children put strains on even the happiest of marriages. Couples have a much higher likelihood of divorce if they have a special needs child, whether that is a child with mental or emotional special needs or a child that has been diagnosed with a disease such

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-28631201436567157772010-07-02T13:28:00.005-05:002010-07-02T14:17:33.392-05:00

A new approach to calculating child support was signed into law in Florida in June and will effect most, if not all, of the cases that are currently pending before the courts. The law goes into effect either in October 1, 2010 or January 1, 2011 and in short, it drastically changes the way in which child support is calculated. It used to be that unless you had your child or children for 40% of

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-32934462251372201282010-07-01T19:02:00.005-05:002010-07-01T19:19:29.888-05:00

There are many studies that talk about the negative effects that divorce has on children. A new study has just been released that states that staying in a hostile and volatile relationship "for the kids" can be much more damaging than divorce itself. I have long since believed that this is the case, and I have heard time and time again that once a couple separates they are able to be better

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-57409518169523874992010-06-16T12:13:00.003-05:002010-06-16T12:21:24.858-05:00

I think that most people know that one of the leading causes for divorce is money. What exactly is it about money that causes tension in relationships? The following article talks about the seven (7) money issues that are most likely to lead a couple to divorce. What I found most interesting is that one of the seven (7) things is issues that arise when a woman makes more than her husband. I find

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-20890562059203000662010-06-09T20:35:00.003-05:002010-06-09T20:46:54.082-05:00

Al and Tipper Gore are the latest "celebrity" couple to be headed for divorce court. They were chastised for their overt display of affection towards one another while on the campaign trail and for outsiders there was no indication that their marriage was in any type of trouble. There are plenty of baby boomers who for a variety of different reasons end their long term marriages and there are

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-66016088591406868972010-06-01T15:09:00.003-05:002010-06-01T15:27:05.134-05:00

I often pass over the opportunity to discuss celebrity divorce on this blog, however, Dennis Hopper's passing has brought up an interesting question about what happens if you have filed for divorce, but that divorce is not yet final when you or your spouse dies. Does your soon to be ex-spouse get more of your estate because you are still considered "married"? Dennis Hopper had a prenuptial

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-72650783264327888802010-05-19T09:17:00.003-05:002010-05-19T10:07:55.749-05:00

If you are caught having an affair and it ends up being the demise of your marriage, who is to blame? Can you sue the person or persons who revealed your secret to your spouse? What if the person who revealed your secret was actually a corporation? That is exactly what a Toronto woman is doing as a result of a cell phone company wrongfully combining the woman's private cell phone bill that was in

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-51543511569183209932010-05-10T11:11:00.006-05:002010-05-10T11:29:09.788-05:00

I sometimes come across issues when my clients' are going through a divorce that I have no legal remedy for. The biggest non-legal issue that comes up when dealing with children is when is it appropriate to introduce children to a new girlfriend/boyfriend and whether or not there is anything legally you can do to stop that from happening. Unless this new person is a sexual offender, child abuser

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-76175085710435221802010-04-05T16:21:00.005-05:002010-04-05T16:39:18.039-05:00

Lately I have been doing a lot of consultations simply providing people with preliminary information and advice, however I have also been helping people fix some of the problems that were created in their initial divorce. Sometimes the problems are created by lack of legal counsel in the initial divorce proceeding. Often times people ask me whether they actually need to have an attorney

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-34847345876289989932010-04-01T12:57:00.005-05:002010-04-01T13:06:16.867-05:00

Divorce is a scary thing and often times people feel alone in the process. It can be emotionally, financially and mentally draining and knowing that there are other people out there that are going through the same thing as you can be tremendously comforting. There are many memoirs out there written by people who have gone through a divorce and have gotten through to the other side in one piece.

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-49944665098049140252010-03-30T12:44:00.003-05:002010-03-30T16:42:29.663-05:00

There is no question that divorce is emotional and often times the emotional part of divorce can have physical implications, whether that is anxiety, high blood pressure, stress headaches or weight gain/loss. It seems that even pseudo celebrities are blaming their divorce for weight gain. This just goes to show you that no one is immune to the emotional aspects of divorce. If you are feeling any

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-7373837450380374542010-03-29T16:06:00.002-05:002010-03-29T17:16:38.454-05:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking about a Cosmopolitan Magazine article that addressed positive things that people learned from their divorce. So much about divorce is negative, but there are positive things that are learned and after searching the web, I found that there is a lot of information out there about the positive things that come from divorce. Here are

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-2778403182871955572010-01-21T15:36:00.005-05:002010-01-21T15:47:32.682-05:00

As a family lawyer we often say that we get to see good people at their worst while criminal attorneys get to see bad people at their best. Unfortunately, in some cases, divorce not only brings out the worst in people, it sometimes leads to unspeakable crimes. There was a case in California in the early 1990s about a woman who killed her ex-husband and his new wife out of rage. She was tried and

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-52901117191747173362010-01-19T12:57:00.003-05:002010-01-19T13:07:03.562-05:00

It has been a while since I blogged and its been hard to find any article that doesn't have Tiger Woods in the title. However, I did happen to stumble upon something that I had to post here in this blog. There is a website that exists for dating that is exclusively for married people. Yes, that is right, married people. What is even more shocking is that the site boasts more than five

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-7210204520073676982009-12-16T16:09:00.003-05:002009-12-16T16:14:30.896-05:00

One of the biggest issues that couples face when they are going through a divorce is the effect that the divorce has on their children. I'm often asked whether I have any helpful tips for getting a child through a divorce in one piece. While I think the most important tip that I give clients is to keep your child out of the divorce process and do your best to co-parent your children in a

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-18307636109470001522009-12-14T20:24:00.003-05:002009-12-14T20:39:16.829-05:00

There are many people out there who are going to be celebrating Christmas this year for the first time as a divorced couple. Creating ways to cope through the holidays can help make the time not only manageable, but enjoyable. This is especially true in the event that you have children. Here are a few helpful tips.1. Make new traditions. There is no time like the present to create new

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-21554114908447927572009-11-10T11:30:00.003-05:002009-11-10T11:42:32.540-05:00

In a long term marriage, when permanent periodic alimony is a given, we often speculate when someone can retire and possibly eliminate or severely reduce a monthly alimony amount. Often times, if someone retires at a normal retirement age, alimony can be eliminated or reduced at retirement. However, a judge in Massachusetts has ruled that a person may have to continue working or seek part-time

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-61971132275365480392009-09-22T17:38:00.003-05:002009-09-22T17:43:29.020-05:00

There are always victims of collateral damage in a divorce, and sometimes the victims are the family pets. I have seen couples fight over who is going to get the animals in a divorce and in other circumstances, people decide to give their animals up because there is either too much going on and neither party can take care of them, or it is decided that it is too expensive to continue to care for

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-9080728839572845182009-09-20T20:10:00.002-05:002009-09-20T20:16:56.076-05:00

I read an article online about a man in California who murdered his two children and then took his own life. He was going through a divorce and had recently lost his job. From the articles that I read, no one said whether there were signs that this gentleman was depressed, acting unusual or had a violent history. I see many people come through my office who are depressed, angry, lonely, or

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-58353251097457717392009-08-28T14:55:00.003-05:002009-08-28T15:08:57.433-05:00

Every now and then, I come across an article that falls under the title "the truth is stranger than fiction". In Tysons' Corner, Virginia a man has chosen to wear a sandwich board stating that he's a cheater in hopes of winning his wife back after infidelity. Whether or not this is some sort of strange publicity ploy is still up for debate, but its an interesting tactic in winning your spouse

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-26379746117599143942009-08-24T14:42:00.003-05:002009-08-24T14:51:57.040-05:00

Its no secret that many people do things in their marriages that they don't wish to become part of the public record when they divorce. This can be anything from tax fraud to extramarital affairs. Sometimes things as personal as naked pictures of private videos rear their heads in the midst of divorce to be used as leverage of blackmail. What do you do if your husband or wife threatens to post

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-78214341725311892952009-06-30T15:29:00.003-05:002009-06-30T15:41:55.692-05:00

This week I had a question about whether you can divorce in Florida if you were married to your same-sex partner in another state and happened upon a story along the same subject involving Martina Navratilova. Ms. Navratilova is coming under a great deal of scrutiny from the gay community for hiding behind Florida's laws regarding same sex marriage in order to protect her assets. Florida does

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-59261742015259307592009-06-29T12:49:00.003-05:002009-06-29T12:58:27.623-05:00

We are definitely in an information age where everyone seems to have a Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or Linked-In Account. I must admit I don't really understand Twitter but I am an actively involved member of the Facebook community. I always tell my clients that email, voicemail as well as Facebook and Myspace postings can all be used against you in a Courtroom, so before you post a status on

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-33979809963449472542009-06-08T16:46:00.004-05:002009-06-08T16:57:40.346-05:00

Almost every time that I do a search for articles about divorce and Florida, inevitably there is something that comes up about the divorce of Hulk Hogan. Recently, there was an article that addressed the hard time that Brooke Hogan was having with her parents' divorce. Brooke is over the age of eighteen and for all purposes an adult, yet she still cries over "the way we were". There is plenty of

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-36487856356607731762009-06-03T13:47:00.002-05:002009-06-03T13:56:55.253-05:00

There is no doubt that there are many children these days that are being diagnosed with ADHD. A new study shows that parents of children with ADHD are more likely to divorce, due to the added stress that is put on the relationship. When a child has special needs, studies have shown that this puts an added strain on a marriage, especially if a child is not responding to treatment. The following

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-32298110701731864552009-05-29T12:55:00.003-05:002009-05-29T13:08:09.444-05:00

Its been some time since I have posted any blogs, and while I was searching online today for interesting and new topics to discuss, Kate and Jon Gosselin popped up more times than any other topic. I've being trying to avoid a blog on this subject, but when these folks came up numerous times when I searched "divorce", I have chosen to bite the bullet and write a blog on this subject.In case you

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-18335782020126538972009-05-11T18:45:00.003-05:002009-05-11T18:51:41.777-05:00

I've read lots of articles and stories about how divorce rates are on the decline and the reason for the decline is the poor economy. I've been wary of this theory for quite some time given the fact that I haven't seen much of a decline in my own practice. In some cases, we are busier than ever. The issues that people are arguing over are different, meaning that people are fighting over who

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-60069095541418797912009-04-20T16:09:00.003-05:002009-04-20T16:18:03.128-05:00

I hear many complaints from people who are unable to collect their child support, do not get the remedies they are promised by the Department of Revenue for getting arrears paid, or in some cases, there are people who have been paying child support who are not getting their proper credits. This doesn't occur in every case, but in many cases, people are lost in the system and there are many

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-51639839927497679242009-04-16T14:49:00.003-05:002009-04-16T15:06:02.477-05:00

As the economy has yet to show any signs of real recovery, there are numerous after shocks that have been trickling down into the family law arena that were not anticipated. One of the effects is an alleged rise in domestic violence. Recently I read an article about the rise of domestic violence as a result of the stresses that come with bad housing markets, high unemployment rates and the

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-49433908023883642572009-04-14T13:25:00.001-05:002009-04-14T13:33:01.343-05:00

Technology is a wonderful thing and there are many ways that people are using technology as a tool when it comes to issues related to their children in divorce. It seems that many states are recognizing virtual visitation and have included this in their divorce decrees whereby parents are able to "visit" with their children online. I don't believe that virtual visitation should ever be a

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-87189964433191155072009-03-30T14:34:00.003-05:002009-03-30T15:14:06.493-05:00

Last summer there was an increase in court filing fees that occurred state wide here in Florida. What was more shocking for most of us was not that the courts were charging $408.00 rather than $363.00 for a new divorce filing, but that there would be a $295.00 charge for all counter-petitions. Seems like many people around the state are in an uproar over the charge for a counter-petition for

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-66269083141290846962009-03-19T15:53:00.005-05:002009-03-19T16:17:33.168-05:00

I'm always shocked and appalled when I hear about people who ask the courts to provide them with unreasonably large divorce settlements, especially in what I consider to be a short term marriage. For most people, if you haven't been married for at least ten (10) years, alimony is the exception and not the rule and settlements are based strictly on what assets the marriage has obtained during the

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-79080761346037392632009-03-16T12:50:00.003-05:002009-03-16T19:05:38.670-05:00

I may be a divorce attorney, but believe it or not, I am not an advocate for divorce. In fact, I wish that more people were able to make their marriages work and I am always on the look out for helpful advice for people who are in healthy relationships and are looking for ways to continue to stay happy. While I don't agree with all the advice that is in the article to follow, I do believe that

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-19935973426833714822009-02-19T15:39:00.004-05:002009-02-19T15:48:57.439-05:00

There is a woman in Indiana who holds the Guinness World Record as the most married woman and she recently wed for the 23rd time. Its reported that she have married so many man that she can't remember them in order, the longest marriage lasting 7 years and the shortest one lasting 36 hours. I am flabbergasted by this, for many different reasons, the most important reason being, why continue to

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-9302618176719965782009-02-09T18:14:00.002-05:002009-02-09T18:18:13.586-05:00

The Florida Family Policy Council is launching a new statewide campaign called, "Strong Marriages Florida." Its aim is to strengthen marriages and reduce the high divorce rate here in Florida. The aim is to teach people how to have healthy relationships in hopes that it will encourage strong marriages and less divorce. We'll see whether this newest attempt to reduce the Florida divorce rates will

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-58889917517731097202009-02-08T21:59:00.004-05:002009-02-08T22:13:31.173-05:00

By now, I'm sure there are very few Americans who have not heard of Nadya Suleman. You may not know her name, but you may know her story. She is a 33 year old, divorced mom who just gave birth to octuplets in California. The kicker is that she has six other children and they were all conceived by invitro-fertilization. I'm sure that this story has left a lot of people scratching their heads for

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-86657952290563502142009-01-21T18:54:00.002-05:002009-01-21T19:00:07.757-05:00

Many people are aware of the bitter divorce battle between Alec Baldwin and Kim Bassinger, and now Mr. Baldwin has written a book about his experience with divorce where he vilifies his ex-wife and the legal system. While I agree with him that there are plenty of attorneys' out there who pillage their client's who have large bank accounts, I believe that it is slightly unfair to put all of us

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-84319309649327790882009-01-13T21:37:00.004-05:002009-01-13T21:51:16.291-05:00

So many stories come out about people attempting to evade paying child support, alimony payments or splitting of marital assets. People will hide assets, fail to disclose income or simply hide cash under a mattress in order to escape these dirty words in divorce. However, rarely do you hear about someone faking his or her own death in order to escape these things. That's just what an Alabama

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-23039630241050224632009-01-09T15:24:00.002-05:002009-01-09T15:31:45.255-05:00

I always love hearing about all the crazy divorce cases out there in other states that have unique and news worthy aspects to them. The latest case is about a man in Long Island who is asking for a divorce and wants his kidney back that he donated to his Wife. You'd be surprised how often things like this come up in a divorce, most often I hear about men wanting restitution for the plastic

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-4274829255266929702009-01-08T15:11:00.004-05:002009-01-08T17:58:39.874-05:00

There are many areas of law that are tied to family law, most common are bankruptcy, real estate and immigration. I am by no means an expert in immigration law, but often times I am asked about whether not an H-4 Visa is valid during and after a divorce. An H-4 visa is a dependent/spouse Visa that is issued when your spouse has a H-1B Visa. You cannot work with an H-4 visa but you are allowed

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-71955630448285443542009-01-07T18:20:00.006-05:002009-01-07T22:06:43.202-05:00

There was a story that hit the papers a few weeks ago about a man who shot his ex-wife and her family and then committed suicide. He was a churchgoing man, and every article on the Internet had statements from people in the community who knew him and stated that they had no idea who that man was, that the man they knew was gentle and would not hurt anyone. Divorce is extremely stressful, and the

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-2431995951714594772009-01-05T21:03:00.003-05:002009-01-05T21:10:24.128-05:00

One of the major issues that most people are facing in divorce these days are high amounts of credit card debt. Who is responsible, who is going to pay for it and how to pay it down are the major questions faced by all people going through divorce. Some people are forced into bankruptcy, others are saddled with the lion's share of the debt because their soon to be ex refuses to pay on the

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-48750984785114015382009-01-01T18:48:00.003-05:002009-01-01T18:54:34.442-05:00

January tends to be a very busy month for family law lawyers. Many people decide to wait until after the holidays to start the divorce process, some people decide the new year will give them the opportunity to start fresh. Our phones tend to be very busy the first week in January with people who are coming in for consultations and for people who have already met with us who are now ready to

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-81989420669213500942008-12-20T09:28:00.003-05:002008-12-20T09:39:27.325-05:00

One of the common things that I am seeing in my practice as a result of the economy and poor housing market is people stuck with homes that they cannot sell. Some people choose to let the home foreclose, others choose to remain in the home together, even after a divorce. Some people are able to amicably live with one another after divorce with few issues and problems, others find themselves

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-88683197586221326472008-12-18T20:01:00.004-05:002008-12-18T20:07:48.487-05:00

As Christmas approaches, I'm sure there are many families out there who are dealing with their first Christmas without the traditional family Christmas. There are usually arguments and fights as to where the children are going to go and how the holiday will be split. I usually encourage my clients to put their children first and think about what they may want. I don't like to give children false

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-7104437624370473092008-12-17T19:27:00.003-05:002008-12-17T19:38:08.353-05:00

Have you recently been divorced and looking to find a date? If so, you may be able to convince your mom to place an ad in the paper for you to find a new person to date. It appears a Tampa mother has done just that. I find it hard to believe that a grown man would be okay with his mother placing an advertisement for him to find him a girlfriend, but I guess, "to each his own".To read about the

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-5534271966199287782008-12-14T10:39:00.003-05:002008-12-14T10:52:44.867-05:00

I have had the pleasure of having quite a few military clients over the past few years, some serving here in the United States, others serving over in Iraq, Afghanistan, or other military bases around the world. I've also represented spouses of military men and women who have many questions about what military benefits they may or may not enjoy when their divorce is finalized. Almost always, a

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-17198437246231128082008-12-07T15:28:00.003-05:002008-12-17T19:42:29.156-05:00

Divorce always makes for good stories, but they made even better stories in the mid 19th century, mostly because divorce was a rarity and when there was a divorce that had sordid details or from a prominent family, it most certainly made news. The public has always been fascinated with divorce, especially divorces that are mired down in scandal or divorces of public figures. A new novel by Emma

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-16090986201141942132008-12-03T21:35:00.002-05:002008-12-03T21:39:02.759-05:00

A con man pleaded no-contest to bigamy in Tampa a few weeks ago and was sentenced to 27 months in a prison and this sentence is in conjunction with federal bank fraud charges which he also plead guilty to. Basically, this man will spend just over two years in a minimum security/white collar prison for defrauding a few woman for years and claiming to be something that he was not. Is this a harsh

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-80429232356912750382008-12-01T21:25:00.001-05:002008-12-01T21:28:10.602-05:00

The following article addresses a recent Florida case where a gay couple were taking care of two children as a result of them coming into their care through the Department of Children and Families and their desire to formerly adopt the children after they had been in their care for a long period of time. I raise the question here, should it matter that the couple wishing to adopt these children

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-5024412288103071902008-11-24T16:58:00.004-05:002008-11-24T17:03:10.129-05:00

Every few months a story pops up about a couple of decides not to get married and a demand made by the man requesting return of the engagement ring. Most states consider an engagement ring a conditional gift, meaning that if the marriage didn't happen, then the woman has to return the ring. In theory I agree with this legal argument, but I question whether fault should some how play into the

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-25699225857307202352008-11-17T18:11:00.003-05:002008-11-17T18:15:09.245-05:00

I always say that teenagers at their best are still difficult, but what are you to do with a teenager that is out of control or acting out because of turmoil in their life, including a reaction to their parent's divorce? What are the signs that your teenager is not acting out in a normal manner, but is a danger to him/herself or others? The following article addresses how to deal with

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-59079969960951234502008-11-14T19:15:00.003-05:002008-11-14T19:30:54.216-05:00

When Judges impose time sharing for children who are young, these types of rulings are very easily enforced and its likely that the children aren't really given a choice as to whether or not they should visit with one of their parents. With teenagers, this is a much more grey area. Teenagers have busy schedules, often times have anger issues towards one parent, and/or are easily manipulated

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-84029747425325967012008-11-13T19:38:00.004-05:002008-11-13T19:44:15.025-05:00

While driving home from the office today, I was listening to the CBS evening news and heard a piece about how the ban on gay marriage in California that recently passed is affecting local businesses. It seems that if you contributed to the campaign to ban gay marriage, this fact is part of the public record, so proponents of gay marriage have created a black list encouraging people to black list

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-68302795669442020512008-11-12T17:45:00.002-05:002008-11-12T17:52:00.273-05:00

Every now and then I come across a website that I feel is so helpful to the community that I need to pass it on. During a divorce, many couples do not want to live in the same home, but also don't want to lock into long term leases if they don't really know where they are going to be financially and emotionally in a few months. A website by the name of www.standbyhousing.com is a website

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-1008186449488363092008-10-29T17:04:00.002-05:002008-10-29T17:06:30.450-05:00

Properly planning your financial future when you are deciding to divorce and during the divorce process may be the most important key to financial security when your marriage is dissolved. Many people make emotional decisions in a divorce which effect their finances. This is not smart. Do not let emotions rule you when you are trying to determine your financial future. The following article

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-31565621903774423082008-10-28T18:46:00.002-05:002008-10-28T18:48:58.623-05:00

Many people want to know whether contingent personal injury claims are considered marital property, subject to equitable distribution in Florida. The following article explains the "yes, but" answer to this question.http://www.marconews.com/news/2008/oct/28/its-law-personal-injury-award-can-be-divided-divor/

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-16682183944718369102008-10-27T18:50:00.003-05:002008-10-27T19:05:36.561-05:00

There are many reasons for divorce, and sometimes the blame for the divorce falls more on one party than the other. I've said in other blogs that there are two "divorces" when a party legally terminates their marriage, the legal divorce and the emotional divorce. The legal divorce is sometimes the easier part. I've always thought that in order to get through the emotional divorce you have

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-29310015592004169972008-10-26T20:43:00.002-05:002008-10-26T20:50:14.358-05:00

When one party is awarded permanent alimony, generally speaking those alimony payments will continue until death of either party or remarriage. Some people put language in their marital settlement agreements that states that alimony will conclude when the recipient of the alimony cohabits with a member of the opposite sex. The question then becomes what is the definition of "cohabitation". In

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-3615853129444939812008-10-25T16:54:00.002-05:002008-10-25T17:01:47.188-05:00

In a divorce, its usually the case that the parties' major asset, or in many circumstances right now, their biggest liability is their home. If one party is keeping the home, the other party may request that the party keeping the home refinance the property and get the mortgage in their own name. More often than not, this is easier said than done. Its a misnomer to state that you want them to

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-70316277776589634662008-10-24T20:46:00.003-05:002008-10-24T20:49:04.262-05:00

Whenever a couple has a special needs child, it can put a strain on a marriage, sometimes such a strain that the couple ends up in divorce. A new study links couples who have an ADHD child to divorce. The following article explains the link and the possible causes of marital stress when a couple has an ADHD child:http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/news/20081024/divorce-more-likely-in-adhd-families

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-18250962492912562392008-10-23T18:13:00.002-05:002008-10-23T18:18:37.508-05:00

I've heard about marriages breaking up over one spouse's addiction to certain online games, but when I ran across the following article, it was the first time that I heard of anyone getting divorced IN a video game. The game that I am talking about is a game called Maple Story where players create and manipulate avatars that represent themselves in relationships, social activities and fighting

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-9129620173236162772008-10-22T16:54:00.003-05:002008-10-22T17:13:09.822-05:00

I have been reading a lot about father's rights, in the context of custody and adoption. While searching on the web for articles about father's rights, I came across what is going to be on the Dr. Phil show tonight which is "forced to be a father". The premise of the show is whether or not a father can sign away his paternity rights and therefore escape any responsibility to a child born out of

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-3140310316774152422008-10-21T16:30:00.002-05:002008-10-21T16:33:02.602-05:00

One of the polls on my blog spot is a question about whether you believe that your life is better after divorce. I think that most people's lives are better after divorce, but they are saddened by the affect their divorce has on their children and finances. The following article is about one person's personal journey and what their decision to divorce did for their life. Please feel free to

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-70568237509453992772008-10-20T20:01:00.003-05:002008-10-20T20:08:39.888-05:00

Everyone who is tuned into entertainment tabloids right now is aware that Madonna and her husband, Guy Richie are in divorce court. Many of you may remember that about two years ago, the couple adopted a little boy from Malawi. What does Madonna's divorce have in common with other less high profile divorces? Well, one thing comes to mind is what happens when a divorce happens shortly after an

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-79744043334132552972008-10-19T12:57:00.003-05:002008-10-19T13:02:03.841-05:00

Teenagers, especially teenage girls, definitely have a tough time with their parents' divorce. They often act out and may have a difficult time understanding what went wrong and some teenagers will place blame on one parent which can cause a breakdown in their relationship with that parent. How you deal with your teenager during your divorce can very well set the tone for the relationship that

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-30496235077205214932008-10-18T11:34:00.002-05:002008-10-18T11:36:23.539-05:00

Many people who continue to live in the marital home after a divorce are concerned about whether or not they can cope emotionally with living in the same home that was the "scene of the crime". Redecorating can be one way that you can turn your home back into a positive place that you love coming home to, but often times redecorating becomes a question of money. The following article gives

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-81464116816257893522008-10-17T19:08:00.003-05:002008-10-17T19:15:34.906-05:00

Contested divorce litigation can be one of the most animosity filled procedures that a person can go through in their life, and sometimes how you start off your divorce case can help dictate the tone of your divorce case. Here are some does and don'ts to follow when you are about to service your spouse with divorce paperwork to insure your divorce case is set with the most positive tone possible

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-36274187689791473382008-10-16T11:36:00.004-05:002008-10-16T11:43:40.428-05:00

The Florida Adoption Statute precludes people from adopting if they are gay. This statute has been on the Florida books for 31 years and has not been overturned. There is currently a case in Miami, Florida where a gay man is attempting to adopt two boys who are in his custody as the boys' foster parent. One month ago, a Key West Judge declared the statute which disallows a gay man or woman

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-88357082831816418122008-10-15T17:42:00.003-05:002008-10-15T17:56:28.855-05:00

Every now and then I have a man come into my office who is aware that there is a woman who may be pregnant with his child and he wants to know how to protect his parental rights. In order for an un-wed father to protect his parental rights, he needs to do the following:1. Register with the Florida Putative Father Registry ; (http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Planning_eval/Vital_Statistics/

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-53207759134856584112008-10-14T18:34:00.003-05:002008-10-14T18:42:41.517-05:00

Normally I look through all the headline to find Florida family law stories to blog about. I attempted to find a new story, but unfortunately, today in Orlando, the big news surrounds Casey Anthony's arrest for 1st degree murder, among other things, in connection with the disappearance of her 3 year old daughter. This case has gotten more exposure on a local and national level and I loathe

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-32522829914326206052008-10-13T16:05:00.003-05:002008-10-13T16:29:44.180-05:00

Everyone is aware that the housing market right now is terrible and people are having a tremendous amount of difficulty selling homes. People are upside down on their mortgages and foreclosures are happening at a more rapid rate than any other period of time in history. These facts are having an affect on people's divorces, and also hindering people from starting the divorce process, despite

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-6417215377679244922008-10-12T21:24:00.003-05:002008-10-12T21:32:31.702-05:00

I like many other Americans, received my sample ballot in the mail a few days ago in preparation for this year's election. While I am interested in the Presidential election, there are many other things on the ballot that will affect Floridians. There are, of course, the election of various government officials, judges and legislators, but there are also amendments to the Florida Constitution

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-91718436542792732152008-09-17T17:26:00.004-05:002008-09-17T17:38:06.946-05:00

Some studies have shown that divorce rates have started to decline, however, it appears that divorce for Baby Boomers remains high. The Baby Boomers were the first to start the divorce boom and that trend has not stopped. There are many theories over why people divorce late in life, whether people who divorce late in life are likely to remarry, and the affect that divorce has on adult children

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-62870600507708960872008-09-13T10:59:00.002-05:002008-09-13T11:01:34.431-05:00

What you tell your children about your decision to divorce varies depending on your children's age. I generally encourage my clients to keep the children out of their marital decisions as much as possible, but at the same time give them information about what is going on and how it is going to affect them. With teenagers this can be especially difficult because they are old enough to understand

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-11195537876867073782008-09-12T19:03:00.004-05:002008-09-12T19:10:18.943-05:00

There is a new movie coming out this weekend called "The Women" which is a remake of a 1939 movie where a woman finds out that her husband has cheated and she contemplates whether she should stay or whether she should go. I've heard one of the Judge's in Orange County, Florida state that cheating is a character flaw and not any one's fault. While I'm not sure whether I believe that or not,

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-36613129407964070452008-08-07T17:09:00.002-05:002008-08-07T17:13:10.386-05:00

It looks like A Rod is going to be yet another Florida philanderer who will not pay a financial penalty to his wife for his cheating ways. I've written many other times about the no fault state policies, but the following article is about how you are never compensated for being married to a man or woman who cheats. http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5i8CWDUkVQSQWco323DxYmsj9X49wD9293BF80

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-60140693183883309272008-08-06T17:44:00.003-05:002008-08-06T17:48:49.175-05:00

Greg Norman's ex-wife is asking the courts here in Florida to enter an order demanding that Mr. Norman turn over all documents which pertain to monies that he received from the sale of the photos from his wedding to Chris Evert. While I am sure that any monies he received are non-marital in nature, what I'm not sure about is whether Norman's ex-wife is entitled to that information. Norman's

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-91088703243008128962008-08-05T16:43:00.003-05:002008-08-05T16:54:06.182-05:00

You always hear that money and finances is a major reason why couples get a divorce. Well it appears that the current bad economy and the terribly housing market is actually keeping couples together. Divorce is without question expensive, and with filing fees going up around the state, a couple can pay over a $1,000.00 in filing fees and court costs before they ever get to a judge or mediation

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-24312452682139917642008-07-26T19:11:00.004-05:002008-07-26T19:17:50.677-05:00

While watching the Today Show the other morning, there was a news story about a woman who sued her ex-fiance after he broke off their engagement. The jury heard the evidence and she was awarded $100,000.00. I cannot find the story anywhere on the Internet, so if one of my readers finds any online article about this case, please post the link here. I'm not sure what the basis of the lawsuit

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-25089602279269200942008-06-20T08:23:00.003-05:002008-06-20T09:04:45.900-05:00

I recently received a comment from a reader with some questions about equitable distribution and alimony in a long term marriage in Florida. I thought I would respond in this blog, because I think her worries were consistent with some other worries that I have heard before.When a couple has been married for 20 years or more, this is considered a long term marriage. If there is a large

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-58370635885995189372008-06-19T10:58:00.002-05:002008-06-19T11:01:49.824-05:00

Seems like the price of gas isn't the only thing that is getting to be outrageously expensive. Governor Crist just signed into law a change for many court filing fees. For example, a step parent adoption in Orange County used to cost you $255.00 to file, starting June 1, 2008, the price is going to be $300.00. These fees were hefty to begin with, but now a simple traffic ticket, or name

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-21329782334845185522008-05-28T18:42:00.002-05:002008-05-28T18:44:39.923-05:00

There are plenty of articles on the web about the dos and donts in divorce, but rarely do you get an article that is straight from family lawyers and judges that are in your particular state and county. The following article is from the Orlando Sentinel which contains horror stories and "fyis" from Orange County judges and family lawyers. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-62116205648590382452008-05-17T11:08:00.002-05:002008-05-17T11:11:45.980-05:00

Florida is an equitable distribution state which means in the event of divorce, the parties' assets are divided equitably. This does not always mean that the assets are going to be divided equally, but it usually ends up that way. A Miami woman wants to make sure she gets her equitable portion of lottery winnings that her husband received during the course of their marriage, and it is likely

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-65813075948413260702008-05-16T19:14:00.004-05:002008-05-16T19:19:51.845-05:00

The California Supreme Court recently struck down a ban on gay marriage. In an opinion that analysts say could have nationwide implications for the issue, the seven-member panel voted 4-3 in favor of plaintiffs who argued that restricting marriage to men and women was discriminatory. This leaves the door open for gay couples to marry in California, one of the most populous states here in

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-52387590335871726982008-05-15T19:54:00.004-05:002008-05-15T20:02:55.308-05:00

It is unbelievably hard to separate the emotional from the rational in a divorce especially when there is adultery or other perceived deceptions involved. Often times when hurt feelings are involved a normal rational person becomes irrational and does and/or says things which can potentially hurt them in a custody battle. Whether that behavior is moving out of the marital home or arguing and

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-32733064773487160462008-05-11T19:26:00.002-05:002008-05-11T19:30:19.861-05:00

Sometimes its not a divorce that causes children to have problems, but the way in which the children's parents handle themselves after the divorce. Some people argue that staying in an unhappy marriage causes more harm to children then deciding to divorce. I think the jury is still out on that one, but the following article talks about the blessing that a divorce can be on a family:http://

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-24185073541220825152008-05-06T17:40:00.003-05:002008-05-06T17:43:17.952-05:00

With more and more couples choosing to have pets rather than kids, the question of what happens to the pets, comes up often. Because Florida considers pets to be personal property, this issue is something that Judges don't like to decide, and furthermore something which should not be brought before a Judge. If you and your soon to be spouse are fighting and arguing over who gets to keep Fido,

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-56226509041293504302008-04-30T18:14:00.002-05:002008-04-30T18:21:37.005-05:00

Would you post your marital problems on You Tube? With the ability to post anything about yourself all over the Internet, it was just a matter of time before a person posted rants about their divorce on You Tube for all the world to see. I originally saw the story of Tricia Walsh-Smith and her divorce on The Today Show, and then out of my own curiosity checked it out on You Tube. I'm not

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348650710682027846.post-36538892398971675302008-04-15T16:51:00.001-05:002008-04-15T16:53:50.104-05:00

One of the problems with the fact that gay couples can get married in some states, but can't get married in others is that they can only dissolve their marriages or unions in a state that recognizes that they have a union to begin with. In order to dissolve a marriage, you usually have to satisfy a state's residency requirement, which means in some situations, its impossible to formerly

Christine Bauerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03990193987280292429noreply@blogger.com1