Tag Archive for: divorce

Video: Collaborative Divorce from Clients’ Perspectives Part 2

Collaborative law is a team-oriented alternative to the traditional litigation model.  It allows for the exploration and implementation of creative, flexible solutions while offering an assurance of privacy.

In the video below (Part 2), several clients* in Texas describe their experience with interdisciplinary collaborative divorce.  The discussion is led by Linda Solomon, a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and Trainer at Lone Star Collaborative Training.

If you have questions regarding collaborative family law and you wish to schedule a consultation with a collaborative attorney in Tampa Bay, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form.

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Video: Collaborative Divorce from Clients’ Perspectives Part 1

Collaborative law is a team-oriented alternative to the traditional litigation model.  It allows for the exploration and implementation of creative, flexible solutions while offering an assurance of privacy.

In the video below, several clients* in Texas describe their experience with interdisciplinary collaborative divorce.  The discussion is led by Linda Solomon, a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Board Member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, and Trainer at Lone Star Collaborative Training.

If you have questions regarding collaborative family law and you wish to schedule a consultation with a collaborative attorney in Tampa Bay, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form.

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Where Is Your Prenuptial Agreement?

The following is sound advice from Mark Chinn regarding keeping track of legal documents (such as prenuptial agreements and final judgments):

I recently heard of a case where the parties are in the midst of a divorce and the prenuptial agreement signed by the parties cannot be located.  It may have been part of an “old document purge” by the law firm that drafted it.  I suggest that clients retain the originals of important documents and that they place them in a bank safe deposit box or a home, fire proof, safe.

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Is Florida the Correct State for My Child Custody Issue?

Under chapter 61, Florida Statutes, a Florida court generally has jurisdiction for a new custody case (such as (i) divorce involving children’s issues/parenting plan, (ii) paternity/ establishment of time-sharing schedule, or (iii) temporary or concurrent custody of a child by a relative) only if one of the following is true:

  • The child has lived in Florida for at least six months immediately prior to the case being filed (even if the child is or has been temporarily absent from Florida);
  • The child has moved from Florida within the past six months, but prior to that lived in Florida for at least six months; or
  • No other state or country has jurisdiction over the child (or the court of the child’s home state or country has declined jurisdiction) and the child has significant connections to Florida.

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How Do I Discuss My Divorce With My Child?

Once a couple makes the decision to separate or divorce, one of the most difficult steps will be to discuss this decision with a child.  Risa Garon, a licensed clinical social worker, certified mediator, and Executive Director of the National Family Resiliency Center, Inc., provides the following advice regarding how to discuss an impending separation or divorce with a child:

1. Before you tell the children, speak to your spouse and decide what you will tell the children. Both parents should have the opportunity to speak.

2. Say what you think will be most helpful to them. Many parents want to tell exactly what happened in their adult relationship to their children. Parents can explain to their children how what they want to tell them will help them in understanding the separation.

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Ten Tips To Make A Good Impression In Family Court

Jeanie Goldstein over at the Divorce Saloon provides a female’s perspective on ten things you can do to make a good impression in a family law courtroom:

1. Wear the right colors – by this I mean the right color for you. There is a science to this. When you wear the right color for you, you are more attractive and tend to have a more favorable impression on people. So don’t wear bright yellow if you can’t pull off that color. Don’t wear black if it makes you look depressed. Don’t wear white if it makes you look washed out. That sort of thing. Get the idea? Wear the right color for you.

2. Wear the right outfits – Don’t go into court looking like a trollop or like an ax murderer. It is an important and impactful event, your divorce, and you should dress respectfully. Think Lindsay Lohan. The girl might be clueless about proper life decorum but have you seen her when she has a court appearance? Very ladylike and stylish I must say.

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Word Cloud: Mandatory Disclosure

In my continued quest to literally visualize statutes and rules related to Florida family law, I created the following word cloud of Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285 (Mandatory Disclosure) using Wordle:

Mandatory Disclosure Word CloudThough this word cloud makes Mandatory Disclosure seem like it belongs in discussion held at a TexMex-themed cocktail party, the fact is that the exchange of certain financial information is crucial to move along most family law matters (including divorce, paternity, child support, alimony, support unconnected with divorce, and modification of financial issues).  To that point, a court will not grant a final judgment in most cases unless financial affidavits have been exchanged and each party has filed and exchanged a certificate of compliance with mandatory disclosure.

What do you think of the mandatory disclosure word cloud?  Feel free to leave a comment below.

Otherwise, if you would like to schedule a consultation with a Florida Family Law Lawyer, call The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A. at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form at http://www.familydiplomacy.com/contact-us.

Hillsborough County – New Child Custody Proceedings Administrative Order

Chief Judge Manuel Menendez, Jr., of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County) recently entered a new administrative order that pertains to child custody proceedings.  Below is a summary of AO S-2011-014:

  1. For Chapter 751 Proceedings (Temporary Custody of Minor Children by Extended Family):
    1. Uncontested and Contested Proceedings:  Petitions for temporary custody of a minor child by an extended family member (i.e., grandparent, aunt, uncle, cousin, etc.) must be written and signed under oath, and filed with the clerk of the court.  The case will be assigned to the Family Law/Domestic Relations Division.  An executed Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement (“UCCJEA”) Affidavit must be included with the petition.  If the petition is being filed with the parents’ permission, written, signed, and notarized consents must be provided, unless the parents provide their consents in open court.  If a petitioner is alleging that a parent has abandoned a child, the petitioner must have evidence of abandonment.
    2. Pending Dependency Proceedings:  If a dependency case is pending when a petition for temporary custody has been filed, the Family Law judge may transfer the petition to the Juvenile Dependency Division. Read more

Equitable Distribution: How to Divide My IRA?

In a divorce proceeding, the court will divide the parties’ marital property and debts in a process called “equitable distribution.”  The court starts with the presumption that property should be divided equally, but it may adjust the distribution based on various factors including (i) the relative economic circumstances of the parties, (ii) any interruption of personal careers or educational opportunities, and (iii) the intentional waste or destruction of assets.

Retirement accounts require special attention during the equitable distribution process.  George Saenz at Fox Business News discusses this:

Not only are you getting separated from your spouse, but also your money. An individual retirement account, or IRA, belongs to the spouse that established it. You generally cannot transfer money from one spouse’s IRA to the other spouse’s account. An exception exists in the case of a divorce.

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Divorce Saloon: Top 10 Things A Gentleman Should Do (Or Avoid) During Divorce

Divorce Saloon offers an interesting top 10 of how a gentleman should act during divorce:

1. Don’t call your soon to be ex-wife and her (female) lawyer by choice names.

2. If you are a public figure, refuse to air dirty laundry and speak about your wife’s private parts (Roseann Barr’s ex Tom Arnold, for example, made some references to her privates that very much were ungentlemanly, to say the least).

3. Don’t respond to violence from your spouse or with violence to your spouse.

4. Gentlemen can curse, but don’t go Mel Gibson.

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