Miami family law attorney blog
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
What if there is a mistake in your Florida marital settlement agreement? How can it be fixed? Whether or not it can be fixed depends on how long ago the agreement was entered, and the nature of the mistake. In the case Asad v. Sheikh, 5D21-316 (Fla. 5th DCA July 9, 2021), the court considered an appeal concerning a retirement account in the parties’ marital settlement agreement.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes
Happy Friday! This weekend, we thought we would celebrate caramel - for no other reason than what’s not to love about caramel?! Check out these sweet recipes.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
If a party who is receiving alimony re-marries or is in a supportive relationship, depending on the terms of a final judgment or settlement agreement, that party may be at risk of losing his or her alimony payments. This is because the party’s new partner is providing financial support to the party that reduces or eliminates the party’s need for alimony. This was an issue in the case Klokow v. Klokow, 5D19-2766 (Fla. 5th DCA July 2, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Domestic Violence
When a party violates a temporary domestic violence injunction, can a permanent injunction be entered as a sanction? A temporary injunction is entered without a hearing. The permanent injunction is entered once a full hearing occurs. When parties are neighbors, enforcement of an injunction may be tricky. All of these issues were present in the case Peck v. Rosado, 5D20-2099 (Fla. 5th DCA June 25, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
What is a status quo order in a Florida divorce? Many jurisdictions in Florida have this administrative order in place which automatically applies to most family law cases once filed. The status quo order usually contains provisions that require parties to continue to pay common household expenses such as utilities, health insurance premiums, etc. This is so that a spouse who does not pay these bills does not have to worry that these services will be in jeopardy once a divorce case is filed. A status quo order was the subject of the case Lykkebak v. Lykkebak, 5D20-1927 (Fla. 5th DCA June 18, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
What expenses are taken into account when the Court determines how much Florida alimony a party can afford? When ordering spousal support to be paid, a court must review the need of the spouse asking for alimony and the ability of the other spouse to pay it. This requires review of each party’s living expenses. Certain living expenses are excludable when reviewing a party’s need or ability to pay. This was an issue in the case Smith v. Smith, 5D20-659 (Fla. 5th DCA May 28, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes
National Creamsicle Day is August 14, followed by National Relaxation Day on August 15 - Celebrate both with these unique creamsicle recipes you can enjoy wherever you feel most relaxed!
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Can you amend your Florida family law petition? Sometimes parties forget to ask for certain relief in their pleadings such as alimony. If relief is not requested in a petition, it usually cannot be granted by the court. This is why permission to amend pleadings are liberally granted. But there are limits. This was an issue in the case DiGiacomo v. Mosquera, . 3D20-463 (Fla. 3d DCA June 16, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Custody
How much notice must be given to a party before he or she is required to undergo drug testing in a Florida child custody case? Due process requires that a party be given adequate advance notice of a hearing and an opportunity to prepare. In the case Lopez v. Frometa, 3D21-911 (Fla. 3d DCA June 2, 2021), at issue was an order entered at a hearing after the parties were given a little over one-hour of notice that the hearing was to occur.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Custody
When a party is not given the chance to cross examine witnesses or present a defense to accusations against them in a Florida family law case, this may be a violation of the party’s due process rights. Due process is generally defined as fairness. In order for justice to prevail, the process should be fair. This was an issue in the case Orozco v. Rodriguez-Amadeo, 3D20-0473 (Fla. 3d DCA June 2, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Custody
What happens in a Florida child custody case when the judge’s order grants relief that was not requested by the parties? Due process requires that both parties be put on notice as to what they are expected to defend against in a legal proceeding. So if a party does not request certain relief in his or her petition, the court is generally without power to grant that relief. This was an issue in the case Logreira v. Logreira, 3D21-0919 (Fla. 3d DCA June 2, 2021).
National Root Beer Float Day is August 6, and we bet you’ve never tried the floats in our weekend recipe line-up! Gather your family and friends, and give them a try.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Custody
How do I enforce a child custody order from another state in Florida? This is a question many parents may have when moving to Florida or when their child moves to Florida. Certain steps must be followed to ensure that Florida recognizes the order and has the authority to enforce it. This was an issue in the case Bender v. Bender, 2D20-3614 (Fla. 2d DCA June 11, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Custody
How does a Florida divorce court decide who gets the family dog? Pets are generally considered property and would be viewed similar to a vehicle or other asset of value. If the parties cannot agree on who gets certain property, including a pet, the Florida Statutes authorize a court to consider, among other factors, the desirability of retaining any asset when deciding to whom the property should be awarded. The case Springer v. Springer, 2D20-812 (Fla. 2d DCA June 11, 2021) concerned a dispute about a dog.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Domestic Violence
When a temporary domestic violence injunction is entered in Florida, the order usually contains a provision obligating the party against whom the injunction is sought to surrender all firearms. Since a temporary injunction is entered without a hearing and without an opportunity for the accused to defend him or herself against the allegations, there is an argument that the seizure of a person’s property is unfair. This was an issue in the case Dean v. Bevis, 2D20-2348 (Fla. 2d DCA June 4, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Dissolution of Marriage
Equitable distribution in a Florida divorce is the division of assets and debts between spouses. Generally a Florida divorce court looks at the value of marital assets and how much marital debt is owed, and distributes these between the spouses to arrive at an equal division. In the case Ouimette v. Ouimette, 2D20-22 (Fla. 2d DCA May 28, 2021), the division of a retirement account was at issue.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes
This weekend, we have National Friendship Day and National Sisters Day, along with National Cheesecake Day - How sweet! Here are some cheesecake recipes to try with your friends, sisters and anyone else who might enjoy.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Domestic Violence
When a romantic relationship ends, one party may have trouble accepting it is over, while the other party may wish to move on quickly. Usually, the party who cannot accept the end of the relationship repeatedly contacts the other party, sends gifts, etc. When does this behavior rise to the level of stalking under Florida domestic violence laws? This was an issue in the case Decker v. Munson, 2D20-1303 (Fla. 2d DCA May 28, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Divorce
An equalizing payment can be ordered in a Florida divorce when one spouse is awarded a higher amount of equity in marital assets than the other spouse. For example, if one spouse is awarded the marital home, the other spouse might be paid his or her one-half share of equity in the home by the spouse keeping the home. However, there are limits to equalizing payments, and this was an issue in the case Sanders v. Peterson-Sanders, 4D20-2082 (Fla. 4th DCA May 26, 2021).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Alimony
A spouse who is disabled may qualify for permanent alimony in Florida even if the marriage is not considered a long-term marriage. A court awarding permanent alimony in a short or moderate term marriage must make a finding that no other type of alimony is appropriate under the circumstances. This would usually apply in a case in which a spouse became permanently, severely disabled and unable to work. This was an issue in the case Gardi v. Gardi, 4D19-194 (Fla. 4th DCA June 9, 2021).
