31 May

Sticky

How Long Does It Take to Get Child Support?

in Alimony, Child Custody, Child Support, Family Law, Legal Advice

Unfortunately, there is no time frame allotted for getting child support. While the party desiring child support may feel it is an emergency, the legal system has its specified procedures which must be followed before adjudication for child support will be finalized by a judge. Taking a look at the procedures needed to obtain child support will help to show why there is no set time limit for obtaining a judgment. Too, each state has its own set of guidelines for obtaining child support and these can be found in the State Statutes. So, for this discussion, the state of...

Is it Possible to Know How Long it takes to Get Child Support?

24 May

Sticky

How Long Does a Divorce Take? How Long Does a Paternity Agreement Take?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Legal Advice

How Long Does a Divorce Take? How Long Does a Paternity Agreement Take?

In reality, the answer to both questions is “it depends on the complexity of the case, the backlog of the court, competency of representing council, and how fast facts, proof, and witnesses can be appropriated and put together. As each state has their own set of guidelines, as found in their statutes, there is no absolute amount of time prescribed for either the length of time it takes for a divorce or for a paternity agreement. Taking one subject at a time, there are issues which can be at least itemized in sequence, if not in length of time. Taking...

16 May

Sticky

Am I Headed for Divorce?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Legal Advice

How do I know a divorce is likely in my future? There are many signs, some known ahead of time and some that come as horrible surprises, to indicate the likelihood a divorce will happen. Here are 6 of these reasons: You have been served with divorce papers and now have 20 days to answer the petition for dissolution of marriage, the term used in most states for “divorce”. You are certain there has been infidelity. This certainty can come from situations including finding your spouse in bed with another, frequent late nights which turn out to be lied about,...

Six Reasons a Divorce May be in Your Future

13 April

Sticky

How to Strategically Plan for a Divorce

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Legal Advice

Strategic planning sounds like something one does when fighting a war. And, in truth, many divorces are much like a war, with opposing sides, each trying to win the battle and take home the spoils. Sad as this seems, especially as at one time there was love and the hope of a future lifetime together, it is a reality, for at least 50% of the marriages in the US will end in divorce. So, as in war, it is best to strategically plan, usually and most advisably, with the help of an experienced Family Law attorney. Whether you are the...

05 April

Sticky

Domestication of a Foreign Order (Child Support, Alimony, etc) in Florida

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Child Custody, Child Support, Family Law, Legal Advice

The title, “Domestication of a Foreign Order”, implies the order needing domestication is from outside the United States. While this is true in some instances, the majority of orders in this category result from moving to another state outside the state where the order was adjudicated. We live in a mobile society. Many people move from place to place every few years or even more often. Jobs move employees, people marry and move with their spouse, or sometimes people just want a change in their environment or a place with better educational opportunities for their children. And, since every state has...

Domestication of a Foreign Order (Child Support, Alimony, etc) in Florida

27 March

Sticky

Alimony and Standard of Living Factor

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Legal Advice

Importance of Standard of Living Factor in Determining Alimony

For alimony, what does the factor “standard of living” during marriage really mean as a factor to determine the amount of alimony? One of the most disputed and controversial aspects of a dissolution of marriage (divorce), is the type and amount of alimony (spousal support) to be awarded to whichever party deserves the support. This is especially true in what is called “high end” or “high earner” marriages. Sometimes millions of dollars are at stake and, while a couple can, and often do, create their own settlement during a mediation prior to a court hearing (in the state of Florida a...

12 November

Sticky

Modification or Termination of Alimony

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Divorce Law News, Family Law

In the state of Florida, certain types of alimony can be modified or changed after a judgment is handed down and there are some instances when alimony can be terminated or stopped altogether. In all cases, there must be proven a material, substantial, and unanticipated (prior to final judgment) change before a case can even be considered. In other words, cause for modification must be serious enough such as a critical illness, winning the lottery, an unavoidable job loss; must have a specific time and or monetary value; must not have known to occur prior to the judge’s decree such...

29 September

Sticky

Buyer’s Remorse After Signing a Settlement Agreement

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Prenuptial Agreements

Buyer’s remorse, as defined by Wikipedia: “Buyer’s remorse (or buyer’s regret) is the sense of regret after having made a purchase. It may stem from fear of making the wrong choice, guilt over extravagances, or a suspicion of having been overly influenced by the seller.” While buyer’s remorse is usually associated with the purchase of material goods, it can, in the case of a marital settlement, refer to the agreement signed by both parties following mediation. (In Florida mediation is mandatory before a court date can be set for dissolution of marriage or post judgment modifications) This agreement is put in...

24 May

Sticky

What is a Request For Production and Interrogatories and Why Are These Discovery Vehicles So Useful?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Cultural Schemas, Family Law

Working with an attorney is much like meeting that special person in your life and developing a personal relationship. It takes time. During this time interrogative questions are asked and answered and evidence such as meeting parents or seeing the actual workplace come into play. This blog will take an in-depth look at both Request for Production and Interrogatories and just why they are useful for both client and attorney. Looking first at Request for Production, the legal definition found in the online Findlaw Legal Dictionary states “a discovery request issued by one party to an action on another for the...

17 May

Sticky

What is Mandatory Disclosure (Fla. R. 12.285)

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Child Support

Mandatory disclosure refers to the in-depth financial disclosure required by Florida law for most legal actions where monetary information is pertinent to the case or where there will be a monetary award as part of the final settlement, such as child support, alimony, and/or debt satisfaction. Both parties in the legal action must submit a mandatory disclosure and the information contained therein must be accurate, up-to-date, and be able to be backed up with proof when required. Proof required is for information prior to the serving of the financial affidavit, and will include: Pay stubs back 3 months State and...