Miami family law attorney blog
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Divorce
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Will my spouse be responsible for paying my attorney’s fees in my Florida divorce? This is a question asked by many as they contemplate filing for a dissolution of marriage. The answer depends on the earning levels of both parties, as well as the behavior of each party during the litigation. This issue was appealed in the case Shaw v. Shaw, 1D20-1600 (Fla. 1st DCA February 18, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
When a party intentionally wastes marital funds, this is called dissipation. If a court finds that dissipation has occurred, a court should award half of the dissipated funds to the innocent spouse or credit the full value of the dissipated asset to the offending spouse in the equitable distribution scheme. This was an issue in the case Peterson v. Peterson, 2D19-181 (Fla. 2d DCA February 5, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Miami is a city with international ties, so it is no surprise that many divorce cases here involve other countries. Parties who obtain a divorce decree in another country may argue that a Miami divorce court has no subject matter jurisdiction to decide divorce issues. This was a question in the case Armand v. Amisy, 3D20-605 (Fla. 3d DCA February 10, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
If two spouses own property in Florida along with a third party such a parent of either spouse, how is that property divided in a Florida divorce? The answer to this questions starts with having the appropriate parties named in the divorce case. A third party who claims ownership to any marital property may file a motion to intervene in the case. This was an issue in Bailey v. Bailey, 4D19-3459 (Fla. 4th DCA January 27, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Equitable Distribution and alimony and two common components of a Florida divorce, especially when the parties have been married for a long time. Alimony must be based on the net incomes of the parties, and factors such as the age and health of the parties, and the lifestyle established during the marriage have to be considered. Distribution of marital assets and debts begins with the premise that division should be equal, but there are factors that call for unequal distribution. These were issues in the case Ritacco v. Ritacco, 4D19-809 (Fla. 4th DCA January 27, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Sometimes after parties are divorced, they choose to maintain financial ties with each other. While this sometimes works out well for both parties, it may give rise to costly future litigation when it does not work out. Such was the case in Greenshields v. Greenshields, 5D19-758 (Fla. 5th DCA January 22, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
In a Florida divorce case that involved a dispute over responsibility for payment of fines levied against an improperly moored boat, the former spouses also disputed alimony and equitable distribution. This is discussed in the case Frank v. Frank, 3D19-1705 (Fla. 3d DCA January 6, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
In a recent Florida family law appellate case, issues regarding alimony, child support and a parenting plan were appealed, leading to reversal of the trial court’s final judgment of divorce. Notably, the former husband successfully argued that the amount of alimony awarded to him was unsupported, that the child support calculations appeared to be arbitrary, and the agreed-upon parenting plan should have been adopted by the court. Today we review the case Garcia v. Espinosa, 3D20-265 (Fla 3d DCA January 6, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Before assets and debts can be divided in a Florida divorce, a court must make a determination of what is non-marital versus marital property or debt. The court must also value each asset and debt. Generally, the court starts with the proposition that each party should receive half of the marital estate. However, there are factors for the court to consider in deciding that distribution should be unequal. The case Rennert v. Rennert, 2D18-3906 (Fla. 2d DCA December 16, 2020) is one which reiterates this requirement for equitable distribution and examines the nature of non-marital property which is paid down with marital funds.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
What happens if a party repeatedly fails to abide by a court order in a Florida divorce case? One of the most drastic sanctions a court can impose is a default or striking of a party’s pleadings. The entry of a default means the well-pled allegations of the petitioner’s complaint are accepted as true. A default can essentially prevent a party from asking for relief from the court and can prevent the assertion of defenses a party might have to accusations from the other party. The standard for entry of a default is examined in the case Aponte v. Wood, 4D19-3370 (Fla. 4th DCA December 16, 2020).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
When a spouse is thinking about filing for divorce in Florida, he or she may wonder what immediate rights each spouse has to property and to financial support. Many counties in Florida, including Miami-Dade County, has what is known as a status quo order which states that once a petition for divorce is filed, the parties must generally maintain the status quo by, for example, continuing to pay expenses that have been historically paid and maintaining insurance policies. But what about before a divorce petition is filed? If a spouse intentionally disposes of or hides assets in preparation for a divorce filing, this is a factor that can be considered in equitable distribution. Such was the case in Corrales v. Corrales, 3D19-2524 (Fla. 3d DCA December 23, 2020).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
How do you determine the county in which you should file your Florida divorce case when after separation, spouses move to different counties? Florida law states that venue is appropriate in the county in which the parties last resided together during their intact marriage. This was an issue in the case Huber v. Huber, 3D20-1228 (Fla. 3d DCA October 21, 2020).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
How does a divorce happen in Florida if one spouse is incarcerated? Being incarcerated does not stop a dissolution of marriage from proceeding in Florida so long as the imprisoned spouse is given the opportunity to participate in the case. In Weston v. Weston, 1D19-3727 (Fla. 1st DCA November 6, 2020) the issue of an incarcerated spouse’s opportunity to participate in the final hearing was at issue.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
A Florida divorce case can involve multiple issues including alimony, child support, equitable distribution and attorney’s fees. When there is an issue as to how the court rules on these issues, a time-consuming and costly appeal can follow. In the case O'Neill v. O'Neill, 4D19-1721 (Fla. 4th DCA October 28, 2020), an appeal was taken regarding child support, equitable distribution and a life insurance requirement.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Most Florida jurisdictions require parties to a Florida family law case to attend mediation prior to their case being set for trial. Mediation is a meeting at which the parties and their lawyers, if any, try to reach an agreement on the issues in their case with a trained negotiator known as a mediator. Some parties prefer to save money and time, however, by negotiating directly between themselves or their lawyers. It is possible to resolve a case this way, and it is important to know when a binding contract is entered if this method is used. This was an issue in the case Thomas v. Thomas, 1D19-1259 (Fla. 1st DCA October 9, 2020).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
When parties to a Florida divorce discuss a settlement “on the record” or in the presence of the court and a court reporter, the court must ask both parties certain questions before ratifying the agreement. This is to ensure that both parties understand and fully agree to the settlement terms discussed. The case Frenkel v. Costa, 4D19-1841 (Fla. 4th DCA October 7, 2020) outlines what must be asked.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Equitable distribution in a Florida divorce is governed by Fla. Stat. 61.075. which states in pertinent part: “the court shall set apart to each spouse that spouse’s nonmarital assets and liabilities, and in distributing the marital assets and liabilities between the parties, the court must begin with the premise that the distribution should be equal, unless there is a justification for an unequal distribution based on all relevant factors [. . .]”. In the case Legere v. Legere, 1D19-3324 (Fla. 1st DCA October 7, 2020), the trial court entered a final judgment which awarded more equity in the marital estate to the former wife than to the husband.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
The distinction between marital assets and non-marital assets in a Florida divorce is important because it determines what assets a spouse will keep and/or what payments need to be made from one spouse to the other to equalize the distribution. In the case Street v. Street, 2D18-283 (Fla. 2d DCA September 30, 2020), the trial court’s equitable distribution determination resulted in the former husband being ordered to pay almost $1 million to the former wife.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
A primary question in a Florida divorce when it comes to dividing marital assets and debts is what is everything worth? Since the court starts with the presumption that each spouse should be awarded an equal share of the marital estate, knowing the values of each asset and the amount of each debt owed is necessary to arrive at this equal division. The case Frett v. Frett, 5D20-187 (Fla. 5th DCA August 28, 2020) sheds light on this.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
Obtaining a final judgment of divorce in Florida which grants a party financial relief is the first step in getting support payments or property distribution. The next step is collecting the money due. Since there may be time limits which preclude a party from collecting on a judgment, collections should be sought right away. This time limit was an issue in the case Webb v. Webb, 2D19-3089 (Fla. 2d DCA August 28, 2020).
