As a Jacksonville, Florida family law attorney, divorce, visitation and custody issues are part of my daily practice. Visitation and custody are usually emotional and working with a client on their parental demeanor is vital in moving forward and eventually going to court. When dealing with custody and visitation of…
Paternity cases and divorces in Florida have a standard of review by the court when children are involved, which is, “What is in the best interest of the child?” By changing things from “custody” to “time-sharing” and “custodial parent” to “majority time-sharing parent, “ the Florida legislature tried to help…
Written by: Lenorae Atter, Attorney at Law Establishing paternity in Florida can mean more than just filing with the State’s Department of Revenue. In Florida and most states, paternity is established by the court and not by a birth certificate. A birth certificate simply provides an assumption that the father…
Written by: Lenorae Atter, Attorney at Law First, the Florida legislature changed child custody to “primary timesharing parent” in October, 2008. However, since most of us are familiar with child custody and custody issues, this article will still address the issue as the historic term, “custody.” As a Jacksonville Florida…
Unlike mothers, fathers are not as easily determined to the parent of a child born out of wedlock and in Florida, the mother and/or the Department of Revenue may bring an action to establish paternity and child support. In a Florida, if the Department of Revenue is involved in a…
Florida divorce and custody battles (e.g. time-sharing battles) often center on the parenting styles of each party, the relationship of the children with each party, and the ability to care for the children in a safe, stable environment. When these things are questioned it can lead to legal arguments that…
In Florida divorces involving children and paternity cases involving time-sharing and parenting plans (custody/visitation), the parties must attend a course known as the Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course. Each jurisdiction may refer to the course by a different name, such as in Jacksonville, it’s Children First in Divorce, but…
Florida divorce and paternity cases can involve issues regarding parental responsibility. Parental responsibility is the term used to define the actual building of parent/child relationships and parental decision making for children. When both parents are mentally healthy, stable and responsible individuals there is normally not a question of the division…
A Florida divorce involving children or a paternity action will require, by Florida Statute, a determination of child support. Florida child support is based on a few factors, which are defined by Florida Statute. The factors considered in the child support calculation are the incomes of the parties, daycare costs,…
Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A. In Florida, unmarried fathers have to establish paternity and parental rights through the court system by filing a Petition to Establish Paternity. Florida paternity is strictly defined by Florida statute, which also states a strong presumption that a child…