Written by: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
In Jacksonville, Florida family law matters, such as divorce, paternity actions, timesharing, and child support must go to mediation before a trial can be conducted. Mediation is a court ordered process that allows parties to reach an agreement, with the help of a neutral third party, without having all issues decided by a judge.
Written by: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Florida child support that has been ordered but gone unpaid may be collected through a Motion for Contempt or by the Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement. A court order is enforceable, so if you have not received child support payments, you may want to look into both a private action of a Motion for Contempt and the State’s assistant with enforcement.
In Florida, going through a divorce involving children can be difficult on the parents and children alike. In determining where the children are going to live, often the parents have to put their wants and wishes to the side and consider the best place for the child. If the parents are unable to agree, then a Social Investigation may be necessary to determine the time-sharing (custody/visitation) and parenting plan to be used once the divorce is final. This is a helpful tool because it takes the arguing away from the parents and places it with a neutral third party, therefore, protecting the kids from a fight.
A Social Investigation in a divorce, is typically done by a non-related, neutral third party that is familiar with such situations and can determine the best time-sharing (visitation) schedule and parenting plan for the children. Sometimes these investigations are done by a licensed psychologist or mental health therapist. The individual chosen, generally agreed upon by both spouses, actually speaks with the mother, father and children to find out what the relationships and the structure of the home are like.
The evaluation is designed to help the Judge assess the family situation and what is in the best interest of the children. It is a helpful tool because it takes the fight away from the parties and places the matters in a professional’s hands.
In a marriage, cars are normally titled in the husband and wife’s names. In Florida, if you cause an accident, then you are responsible for any damages that result. However, if your spouse is on the car, then s/he is also responsible for any damages that result because you are both owners of the vehicle. So, if you get a divorce in Florida and you go through the equitable distribution of assets, meaning that you both take equal shares of your assets, property, etc. and one car goes to you and the other to your (ex)spouse, it does not change the fact that you are responsible if s/he gets in an accident.
If you take one car and your (ex)spouse takes the other, then make certain to get titles switched into your individual names. You would actually need to do a transfer of title and get it registered with the State of Florida. Once that is done, you also want to get the vehicle insurance changed.
Vehicles are not the only property that has title. If you are going through a divorce, you should consult with an experienced family law/divorce attorney. A Florida lawyer can help you understand your rights and how to best move forward with property division including your home, bank accounts, retirement and, of course, vehicles.
Alimony or spousal support, in Florida, is determined by the set of facts surrounding the divorce, not a calculation like you have in Florida child support cases. Unlike Child Support, the determination is not based on a statutory guidelines that says x +y = z, instead factors of the marriage are used to determine what “z” will be. Some factors used to determine whether there is alimony to be awarded and how much that alimony will be are as follows:
How long was the marriage? If the marriage was 0 – 7 years, then that is considered a short-term marriage, 7 – 16 years that is a moderate-term marriage and 17 or more is a long-term marriage.
What was the standard of living during the marriage? If both parties worked and made relatively equal money, then there will be no alimony. If one spouse worked and the other did not, then alimony will most likely be awarded.
Florida divorces are ruled by statute that divides marital property equally. Obviously a home has to either be taken by one party or sold. However, if there is equity in the property, then the decision on who takes the home or if it is sold becomes more difficult because both parties are entitled to 50% of the equity. When going through a divorce where there is a marital home that has equity, some of your options are as follows:
First, selling the home may be the easiest and cleanest way out. If the home can be sold, which today’s market is hard to determine, then the equity would be determined based on the selling price minus closing costs, the remaining amount to be divided equally by the parties.
Second, one party can stay in the home and sell it in a set time to then split the equity. An appraisal should be done at the time of the decision so that an accounting of the present market value and present equity can be determined. A decision must then be made as to who will pay the closing costs and associated taxes. In addition, the person that stays in the home and pays the mortgage, if done without the assistance of the other, should get credit for said payments. So, if the equity would be $10 and one spouse has paid $2 towards the home, then the equity would be $8 to be split equally. There are some other provisions that should be considered including improvements, large repairs, etc.
In Florida, couples do not need a reason for divorce other than their marriage is over. In fact, Florida is a no-fault divorce state which means that even if the actions of one party led to the end of the marriage (an affair), that action is not considered in determining separating assets, debts or determining alimony (spousal support).
In a Florida divorce, the object is to separate marital assets and debts and put the parties in a position that is as fair as possible. Equitable distribution is the term used to divide the marital properties and works to do just that, equally divide the property (assets and debts) between the parties.
However, if one party uses marital money to benefit an affair, then the other spouse is entitled to half of the money used for said affair. For instance, if a wife uses $10,000 to travel with her boyfriend, then the husband is entitled to $5,000 of that money. In a divorce, if there is not $5,000 in cash available, then assets may be divided differently than 50/50 to make-up for the lost money. For example, if the assets total $20,000 then instead of $10,000 to each party, they may be divided so that a greater portion is awarded to the husband to compensate for the $5,000.
Dividing your property when going through a Florida divorce can be challenging because there is marital property and nonmarital property and marital property gets divided equally, Florida Statute 61.075(5)(a)(2). Determining what is marital property and nonmartial property has been a challenge, even for the courts. If you buy a home before the marriage, then technically, it is nonmarital. However, the Florida Supreme Court recently came out with an opinion stating that a nonmarital home, that was under a mortgage during the marriage and now has equity, can be a marital asset. The court laid out the following guidelines for determining whether the home’s equity is marital or not, most of which will be determined through the divorce proceeding:
First, the fair market value of the home must be decided. Basically, what is the home worth in today’s market? Both parties will want appraisals done and sometimes can reach an agreement on this figure.
Second, the court has to decide whether here has been passive appreciation. The court has to determine if the home has gained value because of changes to the market. In today’s market that is probably not the case, but it depends on when the home was purchased.
A divorce in Florida can be difficult for both parties. Florida recognizes marital property and debts as jointly owned, regardless which name it is titled in. When couples go through a divorce, the property is to be equitably divided, which can be challenging for the parties because there is uncertainty with where things will go at the end of the process.
What is considered marital? While there are some hiccups in determining this, there are some basic rules to understanding the process. First, marital property is property that was purchased since the date of your marriage. If you were married January 1, 2011 and you purchased a home one January 2, 2011, then that home is marital. Marital assets are the same and include your car(s), boat(s), bank accounts, etc. The court does not care in whose name such things were purchased, simply the date of the purchase. Marital debts are the same and can range from student loans to mortgages.
So, what is nonmarital? Basically, if you purchased something prior to the marriage, it’s yours once the marriage is over. Again, the rule is the date of the marriage and what was purchased, signed for or guaranteed prior to the date of marriage is considered nonmarital.
In a Jacksonville there is no way to figure out exactly how much time a divorce will take. There are too many variables involved to give a broad estimate. However, a Florida Family Law Attorney can take a look at your situation and give you a better idea based on the facts of your case.
I would estimate that an average divorce with no seriously contested issues will take about 6 months. However, once a divorce is contested it can last for years. Most cases settle after mediation, which is required in Florida divorces at this point, and never go to trial. It’s a good idea to have an idea of what your goals are before you meet with an attorney. This will help you pick the type of attorney you want to hire and gauge their personality at your initial consult. Some attorneys are extremely litigious for no apparent reason. Other attorneys are too timid and may let you get pushed around. Make sure your attorney is the right fit for you. Either way, make sure they have common sense and will not cause you unnecessary litigation that will increase your legal bills.
Once you have the right attorney you still have to worry about the other party and their attorney. This is the hard part. You and your attorney can control your side of the litigation, but you can’t control the other side. Once again this can lead to excessive costs and legal fees for unnecessary litigation. There are some remedies for this type of behavior in the way of reimbursed attorneys fees and sanctions, but it’s easier to avoid this if possible.
Any way you look at it, divorce is not easy. Do your homework before you meet with an attorney, have a game plan in mind, and try to divorce yourself from your emotions when making decisions regarding your case. This will help you make sensible decisions that will ultimately make your life easier once the divorce is over.
Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer Blog