How and Why Alimony can be modified

08 December

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What to Look for in a Family Law Attorney

Family law is civil, not criminal law. Just as the words “family law” suggest family law focuses on issues needing professional legal advice and representation relating to family concerns such as child support, parental timesharing, divorce, alimony, distribution of marital assets and liabilities, pre and post-marital agreements, bankruptcy, mediation, modifications of child court orders, and adoption. In other words, Family Law concerns legal matters that directly affect a family and its members where there are no criminal allegations. In most instances, even though a person can represent themselves on most legal family matters trying to be your own attorney is...

17 November

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How Grey Divorce Differs from a Typical Divorce

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Divorce Law News

How Grey Divorce Differs from a Typical Divorce

Grey divorce, what is it? The term grey divorce emerged several years ago when research began to show that while the divorce rate in the United States was finally beginning to move below 50 percent, what was slowing this drop was the significant increase in divorces among those with grey hair, that is generally the over 65 years of age group. At present, statistics show couples divorcing after the age of 50 are responsible for one-quarter of divorces overall, and many of these couples are over the age of 65. What does research show are the main reasons for this...

15 February

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When is it Time to Hire a Lawyer?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Attorney Consultation, Family Law

Hiring a lawyer is an important step in planning and negotiating most legal proceedings. As to the exact time to hire a lawyer, the answer, in most cases, is the sooner, the better. But why is this so? What about trying to save some money and see what you can do on your own first? Looking at planning a divorce, for example, you will see there are definite advantages to finding the right Family Law lawyer as soon as you are thinking about divorce. Right from the beginning, when you are still in the thinking stage, a Family Law lawyer can...

06 September

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Why Phone Consultations Are a Bad Idea

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Attorney Consultation, Board Certified Lawyer, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Lawyer’s Advice, Legal Advice

Family Law attorney - client initial consultation

It is very likely that sometime during your life, you will need to use the advice and perhaps the representation of an attorney. For many years the Yellow Pages were where you would look for an attorney in your community along with asking for suggestions from family and friends. Not any more. Today the way to look for an attorney involves not only asking family and friends but using the internet and researching several websites. Once you have narrowed your search to, say, three possibilities, you will want to arrange a consultation for the final comparison. Attorneys will offer an...

26 August

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What is the Role of a Forensic Psychologist in Child Custody Cases?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Board Certified Lawyer, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Lawyer’s Advice, Legal Advice, Parenting, Time Sharing

Before looking at the role of a forensic psychologist in child custody cases, it makes sense to look at the definition of a forensic psychologist and what their role is. As defined by the American Psychology Association, it is “the application of clinical specialties to the legal arena.” In other words, according to author Jane Tyler Ward, Ph.D., forensic psychology is “the physiological assessment of individuals who are involved in one way or another with the legal system.” She goes on to say the most important skills a forensic psychologist must have are solid clinic skills that include “clinical assessment,...

18 August

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The Importance of Choosing the Right Mediator During Litigation

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Board Certified Lawyer, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Lawyer’s Advice, Legal Advice, Parenting, Time Sharing

Mediation is the agreeing of two parties to solving a legal issue such as a divorce or child support modification by the process of compromise. Each party is usually represented by their attorney, who helps the party look at all offers and consider if a compromise can be reached, and the issue solved. Reaching an agreement in mediation is less expensive than going to court, both in legal fees and court costs. Additionally, In mediation, the parties have control over the outcome of their litigation rather than a judge deciding for them. The mediation transcripts are private and cannot be...

06 August

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Should You Tell Your Children You Are Getting Divorced?

Posted by Grant Gisondo

in Alimony, Board Certified Lawyer, Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce Law News, Family Law, Lawyer’s Advice, Legal Advice, Parenting, Time Sharing

The answer to this question is really more when you should tell your children you are getting divorced. Eventually, even a very young child will find out Mommy and Daddy do not live together anymore. What is important is to think about a number of considerations before sharing the sad news with your children. Here are some tips to help you think through and decide how best to share the news about the divorce. First and foremost, you should, as parents, work together to decide when it is best and when how to tell your children about the divorce. Hopefully,...

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

Divorce,And,Dividing,A,House,Concept.,Man,And,Woman,Are

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...

15 July

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How Can a Forensic Accountant Assist in a Dissolution of Marriage?

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

Before looking at how a forensic accountant can assist in a dissolution of marriage (divorce), it is important to understand the job qualifications associated with forensic accounting. A person using this title is someone who is trained and educated, and licensed to investigate and give qualified reports in the areas of accounting, audits, and issues involving the financial status of an individual or a business. A forensic account is considered by the court an expert witness, which, according to Legal Dictionary.com is “a person who is a specialist in a subject, often technical who may present his/her expert opinion without...

07 July

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How to Effectively Coparent DURING a Dissolution

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, Parenting, Time Sharing

Dissolution refers to the now used term dissolution of marriage that replaces the term divorce. Dissolution comes from the word dissolve, which in effect is what happens to a couple’s relationship. When minor children are involved by virtue of the fact they were born to or adopted by the couple, there are dynamics involved requiring co-parenting. Minor children are children from birth to eighteen years or longer if a child is unable to support themselves independently for physical or mental reasons. When a dissolution, divorce, is final, there will be a shared parenting plan and parental timesharing schedule legally in...