Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Saving Time and Money in Your Divorce
Two things that divorcing individuals tend to complain about are the length of time that it takes to get divorced, as well as the amount of money that you must spend in order to get divorced. Divorce is inevitably an emotionally draining process that often puts both individuals in precarious financial positions. As a… Read More »
Social Security Benefits and Your Divorce
A recent FOX Business article emphasized the importance of understanding and considering how divorce may impact your Social Security benefits. In many cases, and particularly in long-term marriages in which one spouse worked and earned significantly more than the other, you may be entitled to more benefits based on your spouse’s earnings record than… Read More »
What Are the Different Kinds of Custody Under Florida Law?
Like many other states, Florida law has increasingly recognized the importance of the role of both parents in a child’s life as much as possible. While one parent having custody of a child and the other parent having visitation used to be the norm in American divorces, state laws now are emphasizing concepts such… Read More »
Important Documents to Give Your Florida Divorce Attorney
When you are facing divorce, the last thing you may be thinking about is organizing your financial documents. However, it is necessary to provide your divorce attorney with copies of all important financial documents, not only so that he or she can ensure that all of these matters are properly addressed in your divorce,… Read More »
How Does Having a Disabled Child Impact Your Divorce?
Having a disabled child can raise issues in your divorce proceedings that you normally would not encounter. Depending on the severity of your child’s disability and the amount of care that the child requires, you and your spouse may need to consider a wide variety of issues that may not arise with non-disabled children…. Read More »
Keeping Focused on Your Children During Your Divorce
The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), in recognition of the fact that the primary goal of any divorce should be to place the children’s needs first, has published a recent article that discusses how to achieve this goal. According to James McLaren, AAML President, while most parents would acknowledge that protecting their children’s… Read More »
More Couples Seek Prenuptial Agreements Prior to Marriage
A recent news article reports that more and more couples are preparing for their wedding by first consulting a lawyer. The reason behind these law office visits? Prenuptial agreements. An increasing number of couples are seeking to enter into prenuptial agreements these days before diving into marriage, perhaps due to larger public awareness of… Read More »
Caution: Warnings for Older Couples Who Getting Divorced
A recent high-profile West Palm Beach divorce case finally ended recently after a protracted battle that involved an appeal and 11 related, but separate, legal actions. In the case of Zelman v. Zelman, millions of dollars were at stake between Martin Zelman, a 87-year-old Long Island businessman who has slipped into dementia over the… Read More »
Alimony Reform Advocates Head to Legislature Again
According to a recent Sarasota Herald-Tribune article, Florida alimony reform proponents are focused on returning to the legislature for another shot at passing an alimony reform bill. Florida lawmakers last passed an alimony reform bill in 2013, but Governor Rick Scott vetoed the bill, citing concerns about the proposed retroactivity of its provisions. Nonetheless,… Read More »
Adoption Subsidy Does Not Replace Parent’s Child Support Obligation
A recent appellate opinion by the 5th District Court of Appeal discussed the impact of an adoption subsidy on a parent’s child support obligation. In the case of Tluzek v. Tluzek, the Circuit Court for Seminole County ruled that any adoption subsidy ruled that any child support obligation owed by Father should be offset… Read More »