Recent Blog Posts
How Will COVID-19 Affect Holidays for Divorced Families?
If you are divorced with children or currently separated with children, you likely drafted a marital settlement agreement. That agreement, or MSA, governs child custody, education, healthcare, tax deductions, as well as which parent spends time with the child on which holiday. Some parents choose to alternate holidays like Thanksgiving every other year, or… Read More »
Alcohol Abuse Increase During COVID-19 & Its Impact On Child Custody
At least 50 percent of all students in the US (K through 12) are currently being homeschooled due to COVID-19, which typically requires that, for certain ages, a parent supervise their education throughout the day. Meanwhile, many of these parents are simultaneously trying to keep up with their own jobs while working from home. … Read More »
Criminal Cases and Diversion Eligibility
Were you recently arrested for a misdemeanor offense, and not sure what your next step should be? Were you arrested for driving while suspended, or is your child facing criminal charges? If so, you may be eligible for entry into a diversion program. Florida Pretrial Diversion programs are designed to route defendants to a… Read More »
The Confusion Over When Discipline & Spanking Turn into Child Abuse Accusations
There is no question that parenting during the pandemic has been difficult for many, especially divorced or otherwise separated parents who disagree with each other about issues related to raising their child, such as corporal punishment. Even though 65 to 80 percent of US parents spank their children, sometimes disagreements between parents over issues… Read More »
The First Step Act Fails to Provide the Relief It Promised to Drug Offenders Serving Unfair, Lengthy Sentences
Many had high hopes for the First Step Act, which promised to slash sentences for a number of nonviolent drug offenders. Perhaps most importantly, it would also retroactively apply the 2010 Fair Sentencing Act to those who had been unfairly punished in terms of sentencing for crack cocaine offenses prior to 2010. And, for… Read More »
Florida Supreme Court Asked to Review Case Involving Synthetic Marijuana Manufacturer Assigned Partial Fault for Homicide
In late August, family members of three people who were killed in an accident by a driver who was allegedly high on synthetic marijuana (known as “spice”) and was speeding, asked that the Florida Supreme Court review an appeal of a case that could have significant consequences for criminal defendants who end up committing… Read More »
Addressing Sexual Abuse in Child Custody Cases
One of the most difficult issues that we tackle as family law practitioners is the issue of child sex abuse accusations in child custody proceedings. These accusations typically involve the child’s mother expressing concerns that the child’s father is inappropriately touching and/or assaulting the child and, as a result, visitation and/or custody should be… Read More »
Addressing 529 College Savings Accounts for Your Child in Divorce
Just as arguing over assets is one aspect of some divorces. The treatment of 529 and custodial college savings accounts is an increasingly common issue for some divorcing parents, and therefore for family law attorneys as well. What will happen to the account, who will manage it, how it should be addressed in the… Read More »
New Study Reveals That Police Exhibit “Persistent Racial Bias” In Traffic Stops, Searches & Seizures, Which Has Significant Implications for Drug Arrests & Charges
According to a new study, regardless of whether a police officer is from a municipal police department, or state patrol agency, the decisions that they make to pull over and search motorists are often affected by “persistent racial bias,” whereby not only are Black drivers more frequently pulled over due to their race, but… Read More »
Deciding What to Do When You Are Potentially Separating as an Unmarried Parent
As attorneys who practice family law here in Florida, sometimes the questions we receive are not from those who have already made up their mind that they necessarily want to move forward with a particular path, such as divorce. Sometimes, for example, we are contacted by those who simply want to discuss precautionary issues… Read More »
