I previous wrote about filing fees in Hillsborough County. In this post I review current filing fees in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pinellas County, for common family law matters. A person who initiates a family law case (the “Petitioner”) will pay the following:
For most types of family law actions, a party needs to pay a fee to the clerk of the court when he or she files a petition. Current filing fees for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County) for common family law matters are as follows:
The Twelfth Judicial Circuit of Florida (DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties) provides the following FAQs for family mediation:
What is Family Mediation?
Family Mediation is an informal meeting where the parties work out mutually agreeable settlements in Family Court cases. Parties have the opportunity to explore options and negotiate voluntary agreements that may be submitted to the Court for approval.
Who participates?
Family Mediation provides an opportunity for parties involved in family litigation to engage in a facilitated discussion about the specific issues in their case. Counsel for each party may attend the conference. Other third parties may only participate if both sides agree.
What issues can be discussed?
As I wrote in my previous post, the Virgina State Bar Association’s Family Law Section produced a video entitled “Spare the Child” which discusses how to safeguard the emotional well-being of children during divorce and other family law proceedings. The section has also produced a Spanish-language version of the video, entitled “Proteger al Niño.” You may access this video after the jump:
The Virginia State Bar’s Family Law Section has produced a video which discusses the impact of divorce on children and how parents can go about easing the transition. The video, entitled “Spare the Child,” utilizes personal stories and everyday language to promote the emotional well-being of children as they go through a family law proceeding. You may access the video after the jump (click “continue reading”):
The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (known as the “UCCJEA”) is the body of law that provides Florida courts with authority to rule on issues of child custody. In virtually every family law proceeding that involves child custody–including divorce, paternity, and relocation–each party is required to file an affidavit that contains certain information and demonstrates to the court that it has jurisdiction over the child. This UCCJEA affidavit must include the following information:
Definitions.—As used in this part, the term:
(1)“Abandoned” means left without provision for reasonable and necessary care or supervision.
(2)“Child” means an individual who has not attained 18 years of age.
(3)“Child custody determination” means a judgment, decree, or other order of a court providing for the legal custody, physical custody, residential care, or visitation with respect to a child. The term includes a permanent, temporary, initial, and modification order. The term does not include an order relating to child support or other monetary obligation of an individual.
(4)“Child custody proceeding” means a proceeding in which legal custody, physical custody, residential care, or visitation with respect to a child is an issue. The term includes a proceeding for divorce, separation, neglect, abuse, dependency, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights, and protection from domestic violence, in which the issue may appear. The term does not include a proceeding involving juvenile delinquency, contractual emancipation, or enforcement under ss. 61.524-61.540.
(5)“Commencement” means the filing of the first pleading in a proceeding.
(6)“Court” means an entity authorized under the laws of a state to establish, enforce, or modify a child custody determination.
(7)“Home state” means the state in which a child lived with a parent or a person acting as a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding. In the case of a child younger than 6 months of age, the term means the state in which the child lived from birth with any of the persons mentioned. A period of temporary absence of any of the mentioned persons is part of the period.
(8)“Initial determination” means the first child custody determination concerning a particular child.
(9)“Issuing court” means the court that makes a child custody determination for which enforcement is sought under this part.
(10)“Issuing state” means the state in which a child custody determination is made.
(11)“Modification” means a child custody determination that changes, replaces, supersedes, or is otherwise made after a previous determination concerning the same child, regardless of whether it is made by the court that made the previous determination.
(12)“Person” means an individual, corporation, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association, joint venture, or government; governmental subdivision, agency, instrumentality, or public corporation; or any other legal or commercial entity.
(13)“Person acting as a parent” means a person, other than a parent, who:
(a)Has physical custody of the child or has had physical custody for a period of 6 consecutive months, including any temporary absence, within 1 year immediately before the commencement of a child custody proceeding; and
(b)Has been awarded a child-custody determination by a court or claims a right to a child-custody determination under the laws of this state.
(14)“Physical custody” means the physical care and supervision of a child.
(15)“State” means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
(16)“Tribe” means an Indian tribe, or band, or Alaskan Native village that is recognized by federal law or formally acknowledged by a state.
(17)“Warrant” means an order issued by a court authorizing law enforcement officers to take physical custody of a child.
History.—s. 5, ch. 2002-65.
If a circuit court in Miami-Dade county ordered a parent to pay child support, that order may be enforced in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Hernando, Manatee, or any other county in Florida (so long as one party lives in that county). Along the same lines, alimony awards entered in one Florida county may be enforced in another Florida county.
Section 61.17, Florida Statutes, provides the basis for such enforcement.
MANDATORY DISCLOSURE
(a) Application.
(1) Scope. This rule shall apply to all proceedings within the scope of these rules except proceedings involving adoption, simplified dissolution, enforcement, contempt, injunctions for domestic, repeat, dating, or sexual violence, and uncontested dissolutions when the respondent is served by publication and does not file an answer. Additionally, no financial affidavit or other documents shall be required under this rule from a party seeking attorneys’ fees, suit money, or costs, if the basis for the request is solely under section 57.105, Florida Statutes, or any successor statute. Except for the provisions as to financial affidavits and child support guidelines worksheets, any portion of this rule may be modified by order of the court or agreement of the parties.
An article from Time Magazine recounts some horror stories and tales of caution emanating from the use of Facebook and other social networking sites.
A good general rule: don’t post anything that you would be embarrassed to have your grandmother see. This includes the following:
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