Viewing entries tagged
Florida family law appeal

Florida family law: limits of trial court authority once order has been appealed

Florida family law: limits of trial court authority once order has been appealed

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

When a Florida family law order is appealed, and the appellate court reverses a ruling with instructions to the trial court to correct it or take some other actions, can the trial court take additional actions with regard to the order being appealed? This was an issue in the case Marcellus v. Peterson, 4D2023-2495 (Fla. 4th DCA September 3, 2025).

Florida divorce: Motion for Reconsideration

Florida divorce: Motion for Reconsideration

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce

Appealing your Florida divorce judgment may require that you file a motion for reconsideration or rehearing before you file your appeal. This is because you usually must exhaust all available remedies in the trial court before an appeal. This was an issue in the case Hewell v. Hewell, 3D24-1501 (Fla. 3d DCA August 27, 2025).

Appellate court will not second-guess trial court in Florida family law case

Appellate court will not second-guess trial court in Florida family law case

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

A party may disagree with the trial court’s assessment of the evidence in a case, but this alone is not grounds for appeal. The appellate court usually will not second-guess the judgment of the trial court judge since he or she had the advantage of reviewing live testimony and assessing witness credibility. This was an issue in the case Tropper v. Corti, 3D24-1320 (Fla. 3d DCA June 18, 2025).

Florida family law: Appealing denial of a motion to vacate a general magistrate's recommended order

Florida family law: Appealing denial of a motion to vacate a general magistrate's recommended order

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

If a party to a Florida family law case wants to challenge a general magistrate’s findings and recommendations, he or she is required to file a motion to vacate the general magistrate’s recommended order. This motion to vacate essentially operates as a motion for rehearing, according to the case Taylor v. Taylor, 2D2024-1640 (Fla. 2d DCA April 11, 2025).

Florida family law: limits on trial court jurisdiction while appeal is pending

Florida family law: limits on trial court jurisdiction while appeal is pending

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

When a Florida family law case is appealed, the trial court may be limited in entering further orders on the issue being appealed because the appellate court assumes exclusive jurisdiction over the issue until an appellate opinion is issued. This was discussed in the case Stivelman v. Stivelman, 3D23-1811 (Fla. 3d DCA March 19, 2025).

Florida family law: understanding a final versus non-final order

Florida family law: understanding a final versus non-final order

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

When appealing a Florida family law order, it is important to understand if the order is final or non-final. If it is non-final, it is important to understand if the appellate rules of procedure allow it to be appealed. Understanding these issues can avoid potential waste of money and time in appealing an order that may not be appealed under the rules. This was an issue in the case Gaskins v. Bahour, 2D2023-2617 (Fla. 2d DCA November 27, 2024).

Florida family law: Appeal of orders entered after the filing of a Notice of Appeal

Florida family law: Appeal of orders entered after the filing of a Notice of Appeal

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

Once a Florida family law case is appealed, the trial court may not be able to enter certain orders if they conflict with the jurisdiction of the appellate court. Nonetheless, each order being appealed must be properly brought before the appellate court by following the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure. This was an issue in the case Dunaj v. Worley, 3D24-0438 (Fla. 3d DCA October 16, 2024).

Florida family law: attorney's fees in indirect criminal contempt proceedings

Florida family law: attorney's fees in indirect criminal contempt proceedings

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

Criminal penalties can sometimes be levied in Florida family law cases. These are usually the result of indirect criminal contempt proceedings. How is a request for attorney’s fees and costs determined in indirect criminal contempt proceedings in a Florida family law case? This was an issue in Burlinson v. Wilson, 4D2023-0464 (Fla. 4th DCA June 5 2024).

Summary judgment in a Florida family law appeal

Summary judgment in a Florida family law appeal

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

What is summary judgment in a Florida family law case? This is a judgment entered by the court when there is no issue of material fact. In other words, when the court finds that there is no genuine dispute regarding an issue in the case, the court will skip conducting a trial on the issue. The court will instead just enter a judgment on the issue. In a way, this is an expedited way of getting a final judgment. One example would be if the parties agree in a paternity case that the father is the biological and legal father of a child. Since the parties agree, there is no need to have a trial on this issue, so the court can enter summary judgment declaring the father to be the father. Can summary judgment be entered on appeal? This was an issue in the case Saenz v. Sanchez, 3D24-0862 (Fla. 3d DCA May 29, 2024).

Writ of prohibition in a Florida family law case

Writ of prohibition in a Florida family law case

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

When a Florida family law case is decided on appeal, the appellate court usually remands the case to the trial court with instructions on how to proceed in the case. The trial court is bound by those instructions. What can a party to the case do if the trial court fails to follow the instructions? This was an issue in the case Temple v. Melchione, 6D23-2180 (Fla. 6th DCA July 28, 2023).

Appeal of non-final order in Florida family law case

Appeal of non-final order in Florida family law case

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

What is a non-final order in a Florida family law case? According to Florida law, "The test for whether an order is final is whether further judicial labor is required or contemplated." Mallory v. Brinckerhoff, 312 So.3d 944 (Fla. 4th DCA 2021). So a non-final order is one which does not end all judicial labor, meaning there is more for the court to do in a case to resolve it. Examples of non-final orders are orders granting temporary alimony, temporary child support and a temporary parenting plan. The finality of an order is important in determining your right to appeal the order. This was an issue in the case Sanz v. Saenz, 3D23-549 (Fla. 3d DCA May 3, 2023).

Florida family law procedure: deadlines for appeal

Florida family law procedure: deadlines for appeal

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

How long does a party have to appeal a Florida family law ruling? Generally, a party has 30 days from the date an order is entered to file a Notice of Appeal. This deadline is strict, and an appellate court has no jurisdiction over a matter after this date. This was an issue in the case Baroff v. Baroff, 4D22-772 (Fla. 4th DCA November 2, 2022).

Florida family law: attorney's fees in an appeal

Florida family law: attorney's fees in an appeal

Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure

Can attorney’s fees be awarded in a Florida family law appeal case based on a disparity in income between the parties? Generally, an appellate court has the authority to award temporary fees when a motion is filed under the Florida Rules of Appellate Procedure, and a trial court also has the authority to award these fees. This was an issue in the case Finch v. Cribbs, 1D18-3855 (Fla. 1st DCA November 2, 2022).