Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer Blog

September 4, 2010

Kids to Billionaire Dad: Pay Up for Being Gone

The two adult children of billionaire developer Donald Bren, who is currently ranked #16 on the Forbes list of wealthy Americans with an estimated fortune of $12 billion, are suing their father for not being a part of their lives.

They are asking for retroactive child support in the amount of $400,000 per month for a period of 14 years, for a total of just over $67 million each.

Christie Bren, 22, and David Bren, 18, say that while they did not suffer any economic hardships while growing up, they were emotionally damaged because of the absence of their father, Donald Bren.

September 3, 2010

Family and Friends Provide More Support to Those Going Through Divorce

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

A poll conducted by GFK Roper on behalf of the divorce information website Divorce360.com has found that both men and women turn to family and friends first as a source of support while going through a divorce.

The poll was conducted by phone and included more than 1,500 respondents chosen at random. Both men and women were questioned about how and from whom they sought help during their divorce.

Overall, 26 percent of men said they chose family members for support and another 25 percent of men said they leaned on friends. Almost 45 percent of women said they chose family, while 25 percent of women chose friends.

September 2, 2010

Online Reputation Managers Bury the Data and the Dirt

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

A recent article in The Boston Globe profiled another job category created specifically by the Internet: online reputation managers. And even the divorced are hiring them to bury their online divorce records so potential new mates won’t learn more than they need to know when they Google them.

While most people who use online reputation managers are those who want to bury a bad review of their business or find and delete all the party images of themselves on other people’s Facebook pages before job hunting, there are those who need these services for more personal reasons.

One recently divorced woman hired an online reputation manager to remove some painful references to her online divorce records prior to her launching a new dating life online.

September 1, 2010

Common Risk Factors for Divorce

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

We all know that viruses cause colds, so we avoid exposure to viruses. But what are some of the common risk factors for divorce?

Lack of support – Constant criticism, lack of respect and failing to provide emotional support to a spouse is a common cause of divorce.

Ill health – When one spouse becomes seriously ill, it sometimes places unbearable strains on a marriage. The idea of “in sickness and health,” is a good one, but the reality is that a healthy person married to a sick person usually becomes a divorced couple.

August 31, 2010

Texas Court Rules Gay Couple Cannot Divorce

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

The 5th Texas Court of Appeal in Dallas has just handed down a ruling regarding a gay couple that wished to obtain a Texas divorce: forget about it.

The appeals court said that a Dallas district court judge was in error when she ruled that she had the authority to hear the divorce case of two Dallas men who married in 2006 in Massachusetts. The court said that Texas courts lack the legal authority to grant divorces to same-sex couples because of the state’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriages.

The Texas constitution states that a valid marriage is a union between one man and one woman, and only when that union exists can a divorce be granted. Even though the same-sex marriage ban has existed under state law, Texas voters passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage in 2005 by a three to one margin.

August 30, 2010

Judge Refuses to “Un-Divorce” NY Couple

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

A Queens Supreme Court justice has turned down a New York couple’s request to set aside their November 2009 divorce, telling them that they should not have wasted the court’s time and money.

According to an article in the New York Daily News, the wife, who now lives in Rhode Island, and her former husband, who remains in Queens, told the judge that they had recently reconciled and wanted him to void their divorce from last year. They told Justice Charles Markey that even if they got remarried, “we would forever be aware that a divorce judgment still exists between us.” The couple also said they wanted to avoid any religious stigma because of the divorce.

However, Justice Markey told the couple that the court “does not bow to alleged religious sentiments or convictions that may attach to divorce” and questioned whether the couple had truly reconciled since they both lived in different states. He said that it appeared their reconciliation was premature, and suggested that if they were really serious about repairing their relationship, they could take another trip down the aisle.

August 29, 2010

Tips for Successfully Navigating a Divorce

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

Many people think that the hardest part about divorce is making the decision to get one. However, the divorce process itself can take quite an emotional and financial toll if you are not prepared. Here are some tips for getting through a divorce:

Find a good divorce attorney. People who have been through a divorce will tell you this is probably the most important thing. You need to find a divorce attorney who not only knows what they are doing, but who you can trust with every detail of your life. A good divorce attorney for your best friend may not be a good divorce lawyer for you. Do your homework and find one that “clicks” with you.

Be honest. After you find that divorce attorney, be honest with him or her. One of the worst things you can do is set your attorney up for a surprise in court. This could put you at a big disadvantage and compromise your case.

August 28, 2010

The Divorce Gene: Is Breaking Up In Your DNA?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

A Swedish study on the role genes play in relationship bonding suggests that some men may carry what researchers have called a “divorce gene”, although they say that it does not mean you can necessarily predict whether your husband will want a divorce based on his DNA.

The study was conducted at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, one of Europe’s oldest and highest ranked medical universities. One thousand couples participated in the study, which was inspired by an earlier North American study on field mice that showed genetics played a part in relationship bonding.

Lead researcher Hasse Walum said that researchers examined the association between the vasopressin receptor 1a gene and bonding behavior to see if a similar pattern could be detected in humans. The men in the study who had the gene scored lower on “affection expression” than men without the gene.

August 27, 2010

Short Term Marriage in Florida – What are Your Entitlements?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

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In determining an award for alimony, Florida family courts may consider a considerable amount of factors. Among these factors is a rebuttable presumption regarding the duration of marriage. The length of marriage is the period of time from the date of marriage until the date of filing of an action for dissolution of marriage. Marriages fall into different categories: short-term, moderate-term and long-term. Pursuant to Fla. St. § 61.08, a moderate-term marriage is a marriage lasting greater than 7 years but less than 17 years. A long-term marriage is a marriage with a duration of 17 years or greater. And, a short-term marriage is marriage lasting less than 7 years.

There are four different types of alimony awards available in the state of Florida: bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, durational and permanent. All of these awards have different durations and modification and termination requirements. Being in a short-term marriage may or may not affect your ability to recover alimony. Although short-term marriage may present extra hurdles in obtaining certain types of alimony awards, these hurdles are not insurmountable. There are always exceptions to the general alimony rules. Contact a Florida Divorce Attorney for legal representation in the dissolution of your short-term marriage to get you the type of alimony best suited for your situation.

August 26, 2010

Florida has 4 Types of Alimony: Bridge-the-gap, Rehabilitative, Durational, and Permanent – What’s the Difference?

By Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.

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Pursuant to Title VI, Civil Practice and Procedure, Chapter 61, Dissolution of Marriage; Support; Time-Sharing, Section 61.08, Alimony, Florida courts may grant alimony to either party, which may be bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, durational, or permanent in nature or award any combination of these types of alimony.

Bridge-the-gap alimony is an unmodifiable alimony award that provides a party financial assistance to aid that party in transitioning from being marriage to being single. It is designed to assist the party with any legitimate and identifiable short-term needs. The length of any bridge-the-gap alimony award cannot exceed 2 years and will terminate upon the death of either party or if the receiving spouse remarries.

Rehabilitative alimony is awarded to assist a party in “establishing the capacity for self-support through either: (1) the redevelopment of previous skills or credentials; or (2) the acquisition of education, training, or work experience necessary to develop appropriate employment skills or credentials.” Fl. St. § 61.08(6). A specific an defined rehabilitative plan must exist in order to receive this type of award. This type of alimony may be modifiable and terminated in accordance with Florida Law based upon a substantial change in circumstances or upon noncompliance or completion with the rehabilitative plan.