By davidbmitchell | Published April 15, 2020 | Posted in Uncategorized |
Since Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017, many have mistakenly believed that the child care tax credit is gone for now. It is not. Congress wanted to assist working parents of children under 13 years of age (and those caring for qualified dependents) and guardians by giving them a generous tax Read More
Read MoreOne of the most difficult events during a relationship inside or outside of a marriage is the occurrence of domestic violence. Clearly, no one is permitted to seriously threaten much less physically attack a spouse or significant other and such attacks can often have direct criminal implications. Indeed, Florida’s domestic violence statute Chapter 741.28, Florida Read More
Read MoreIn a contested divorce case, the court must identify each of the major marital assets, subtract any marital debts, and equitably distribute the net marital estate between the parties. Thus, it is very common to have the marital home valued by the court and the net equity (market value less mortgage balances) distributed between the Read More
Read MoreFlorida’s Uniform Prenuptial Agreement Act (Chapter 61.079, Florida Statutes) sets out the grounds for attacking a prenuptial agreement in the event of a divorce where one party wants the court to set aside the agreement. These are “fraud, duress, coercion, or overreaching.” But what is “duress”? Understanding that even in the best of circumstances, being Read More
Read MoreAs a general rule, an award of alimony ends upon the death of the paying ex-spouse (typically, the ex-husband). This could result in the recipient (typically, the ex-wife) losing the financial lifeline of those monthly payments. Florida law permits the divorce court to enter an order requiring the paying spouse to secure the award of Read More
Read MoreNEW ‘CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES’ CASE If you’re paying alimony or child support and want to reduce your obligation because of a new job, job loss, career change or other ‘change of circumstances’, a new Florida appellate court case may help give you some direction. In general, to reduce an existing alimony or child support obligation Read More
Read MoreIf you’re facing a divorce in 2019 , you need to know that the new Federal tax act will have an impact on your case. Remember the old saying that in every divorce there are three parties: The spouses and Uncle Sam. It is very important that you have an attorney that understands at least Read More
Read MoreIf you are in a divorce or paternity matter, there is nothing more important than protecting your child. As difficult as the case may may be on your emotional and financial health, it is more so for your child. Fortunately, you are not alone. Florida courts make available to parents additional professionals to assist in Read More
Read MoreIn many divorces, the client will ask the lawyer “How can you find my spouse’s hidden assets?” There are a number of ways to do so. Sometimes it might be necessary to hire a forensic accountant to assist, but often just using the following steps may help. ‘Discovery’ is the means to collect documents from Read More
Read MoreSame-sex marriage is the law of the land since the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefel v. Hodges. This case recognized same-sex marriage as a fundamental right protected under the Constitution. But with rights come responsibilities, and same-sex couples will now face the same difficulties traditionally experienced by couples in divorce. These include children’s Read More
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