Becoming a Board-Certified Attorney is difficult in Florida

15 December

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Is a Yearly Bonus Considered in Child Support or Alimony

in Board Certified Lawyer, Child Support, Family Law, Legal Advice

A bonus is an amount of money paid to an employee over and above their regular paycheck. In most instances, a bonus occurs once a year, often at the end of the year though there are times when a bonus is paid more often. Sometimes the bonus is paid simply because the employee has completed a given amount of time with their organization, and a bonus is given to all workers, the amount depending on how long they have been employed. Other times a bonus is given as an incentive for work done or a goal reached. This second type...

26 November

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Tips For Dealing with the Stress of a Divorce

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Board Certified Lawyer, Family Law, Legal Advice, Mediation

It is highly unlikely anyone would find going through a divorce to be relatively stress-free. In fact, going through a divorce is usually extremely stressful, often resulting in sleepless nights, weight loss, emotional outbursts, feeling of abandonment, and a sense of loss, particularly loss of self-esteem. While there is no magic pill or potion one can take to eliminate stress, there are a number of ways to combat the stress and often take stress down to a reasonable level. Here are ten suggestions that may help you: Try to work your marital issues out in mediation and create a marital...

17 November

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How Long Does a Divorce Take Is A Question?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Board Certified Lawyer, Family Law, Legal Advice

How long does a divorce take is a question that essentially has no specific answer other than it takes as long as it takes to complete the entire legal process of dissolution of marriage (divorce)? There a many factors that will influence the actual time it takes to get a divorce. As each state has its own set of rules and guidelines surrounding divorce, this blog will focus on the state of Florida. Here are the major time-sensitive factors which will influence the length of time until a judge signs the final order granting a divorce. Will the divorce be...

08 November

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Parental Timesharing, Parenting Plans, and School Boundary Issues

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Board Certified Lawyer, Family Law, Legal Advice

In Florida, when there are minor children and Family Court must be involved in their wellbeing, there are firm guidelines regarding how the child’s care and nurturing should occur. These guidelines apply to all couples who have created or adopted a child together, whether they were ever married or even lived together. In Florida, all parents are legally responsible for their children from birth to age l8 and longer if the child cannot, for mental or physical reasons, support themselves. “In the best interest of the child” is the motto of Florida Family Court, and parents do not have to...

26 October

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Be Careful What You Text the Other Party

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Board Certified Lawyer, Family Law, Legal Advice

Texting, that is, sending messages to another person’s phone, has become a way of communication for many people. It is much like writing a letter, except the information is immediately sent and received. In most circumstances,a person simply enjoys the message and responds if appropriate. However, there are times when a person must be very careful about what they send as a text message. And one of these times is when a party is going through a dissolution of marriage (divorce).Each state has its rules regarding text messagesthat can or cannot be used as evidence during a divorce case. This...

19 October

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What Truly is an Emergency in Family Law?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Board Certified Lawyer, Family Law

The motto of the Florida Family Court when it comes to minor children is “in the best interest of the child.” A minor child is a child from birth to age l8 or beyond if the child cannot support themselves for physical or mental reasons. Every attempt is made when the court must decide how a minor child will be cared for and nurtured to create as healthy an environment as possible for the child’s continued development. Whether the parents were ever married or lived together, the court feels minor children need both parents as they grow toward adulthood. Parental...

Florida Family Court - Emergency Care Of Minor Children

07 October

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Myths In the Law: There Is No Favoritism in The Law

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Board Certified Lawyer, Child Custody, Child Support, Parenting

For many years it seemed when it came to parents of minor children seeking custody and child support following a divorce or separation that the courts generally ruled in favor of the mother receiving primary custody and the father paying child support. Times have changed. There is no longer favoritism when it comes to the care and nurturing of minor children. In the state of Florida Family Court has a motto, “In the best interest of the child,” and this saying is translated into how minor children are cared for and who is responsible for paying child support. To be...

28 September

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Why You Should Hire a Board-Certified Lawyer

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Attorney Consultation, Board Certified Lawyer, Family Law, Legal Advice

Hiring a lawyer is usually a serious consideration and should not be done hastily. You should take your time deciding the right lawyer to represent you, one that meets the needs of your particular case. By checking out several lawyers who are licensed to serve your judicial county, you can check for qualifications such as education, years of active legal practice, recommendations from friends and family, areas of specialty, fee schedule, and personality. Lawyers who offer an initial free consultation will answer general legal questions such as the steps in handling divorce and how to obtain child support. One of the...

26 July

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How Are Marital Homes Handled in Divorce

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Board Certified Lawyer, Board Certified Lawyer, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Laws and Women, Lawyer’s Advice, Legal Advice

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In a dissolution of marriage (divorce), Florida is an equitable distribution state for dividing marital assets and liabilities, including real estate, which includes marital homes. While a judge will often order a marital home sold and the equity divided 50/50, there are other ways the marital home asset can be handled. Equitable means fair rather than equal, so Florida Family Court has a variety of options. Before any option handling a marital home is presented, the true ownership of the home must be established. If the home belonged entirely to a party before marriage, he or she would continue to own...