Recent Blog Posts
Can I Still Get Divorced In Orlando if My Spouse Will Not Sign The Papers?
One issue that divorce lawyers in Orlando Florida, deal with occasionally is the situation where one party wants to get a divorce, but the other party does not want the marriage to end. This can be a very sensitive situation and divorce attorneys in Florida need to be delicate in how they approach the… Read More »
How Long Do Divorces Take in Orlando Florida?
One common question that we receive on an almost daily basis at our Orlando divorce law firm is how long the divorce process is expected to take for our clients. The truth is that there is no simple answer to this question. This is because the length of time a divorce will take in… Read More »
What If I Cannot Afford a Collaborative Divorce in Orlando Florida?
One of the newer types of divorce alternatives that are available to divorcing couples is the collaborative divorce process. A collaborative divorce is one where the parties to the case agree that they will reach a settlement without going to court. The collaborative agreement goes so far as to declare that in the event… Read More »
If You Want An Uncontested Divorce, Then Ask The Right Questions
Divorce is a very difficult life event to deal with. This is made significantly more traumatic when the parties to the case cannot agree on major legal issues in the case. For this reason, it is important to use your most diligent efforts to obtain an uncontested divorce whenever possible. An uncontested divorce occurs… Read More »
How Will Filing for Bankruptcy Affect Your Child Support Obligations In Divorce?
Watching your unpaid child support obligations pile up as you are less and less able to afford them can be truly demoralizing. The judge might treat you like you are not serious about parenting when your financial struggles have nothing to do with your level of commitment to your children. Your ex might antagonize… Read More »
Can You Get Permanent Alimony if You are Still Young in Divorce in Orlando FL?
Increasingly, the family courts in Florida see alimony as a last resort. Equitable distribution is the governing principle in dividing a couple’s property when the marriage is dissolved because it means that each spouse gets a fair share of the return on the investments they made during their lives together. If the wife was… Read More »
Imputed Income In Florida Divorce Does Not Have to be Your Enemy
You might think that “imputed income” is a dirty word, especially if the court calculated your alimony and child support obligations by assuming that you make more money than you actually do. In fact, imputed income has been a sticking point in many divorce cases. Maybe the court imputed too little income to your… Read More »
Disagreements Over Financial Support for Adult Children in Orlando Divorce
Even when you are generally happily married, disagreements about parent-child relationships can lead to hurt feelings. It is easy for your spouse to vent jealousy by taking cheap shots about you trying to turn your child into a mama’s boy or a daddy’s girl. Then there are the disagreements about specific incidents and issues… Read More »
Sabotaging Your Income to Reduce Alimony is a Terrible Idea In Orlando Florida Divorce
Finding out how much of your money will immediately go to bills and debt payments is enough to make your good mood on payday short-lived. Many people employ the questionable personal finance tactic of earning less in order to pay less, or at least appearing to earn less. Certainly, no one can blame restaurant… Read More »
The Strategy Guide to Florida Divorces Involving Child Custody
Any time a married couple who has children under the age of 18 decides to get divorced they will need to address child custody issues in their case. These are situations that involve a great deal of knowledge of the law and should only be finalized with the assistance of a skilled Orlando divorce… Read More »
The Complete Guide To Filing For Divorce In Florida
My name is Sean Smallwood, and I am an Orlando divorce attorney who has been practicing family and marital law for about a decade. I understand that whether you are a newer attorney or someone who intends to represent themselves in a divorce matter the information in this guide will assist you in the… Read More »
How to Set Aside A Prenuptial Agreement In Florida
As Orlando FL divorce attorneys, we very regularly hear our clients tell us that they wish they had gotten a prenup before they got married. However, a prenup does not always mean that their assets would have been protected. This is because prenuptial agreements in Florida have very specific rules that must be followed… Read More »
How To Make Sure Your Divorce Goes Uncontested
I have been a divorce attorney for a long time now and in all my years I have witnessed just about every type of argument or allegations that you can possibly imagine. I have heard people accuse their spouse of being alcoholic, violent, having anger management issues, allegations of molesting the kids, and even… Read More »
How To Modify A Child Custody Parenting Plan In Florida
One of the most common types of cases that people contact our office regarding is that of modifying a parenting plan. The parenting plan is a court-ordered document that spells out all aspects of a child custody arrangement including timesharing, parental responsibility, access to school and medical records for the child, holiday schedules, school… Read More »
The Three Most Common Mistakes Made in Divorce Separations
One of the most difficult parts of the divorce process in Florida is the actual separation. The process of transitioning from a single-family unit with one set of bills, bank accounts, and routines to separate households can be downright traumatic. What can make matters even worse is when the parties to the divorce were living… Read More »
How The Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak Affect Child Custody Arrangements?
Amid the recent outbreak of coronavirus in the United States several states have issued mandatory stay at home orders and some are calling for the mandatory shutdown of any non-life saving businesses in order to slow down the spread of the virus. One big concern that is not yet receiving much attention in the… Read More »
Should I Wait Until After the Coronavirus Outbreak to File For Divorce?
At this moment pretty much everybody on planet Earth is well aware of the coronavirus also known as COVID 19 and the effects that it is having on the world and the world’s economies. With millions of people suddenly out of work due to the massive shutdowns of certain industries many people are wondering… Read More »
What To Do If The Lawyers Are The Only Ones Fighting
In this video, I answer the question “what should I do if the divorce lawyers are the only ones fighting in my case?” This is actually more common than you may think. It’s a situation where you and your spouse may be getting along pretty well and are possibly agreeing on many of… Read More »
Should I Get Divorced?
In this video, I’m going to speak for a few moments regarding a serious topic that very few, if any, divorce attorneys are actually taking the time to discuss with their clients. That is whether or not the person sitting in their office is sure that they should even be getting divorced in… Read More »
How to Hold Someone in Contempt of a Divorce Agreement in Florida
After the dust settles from an initial divorce action the parties will have a final judgment that operates as a court order dictating the details of the resolution of their case. In some cases, that is where the really difficult work begins This is because usually one of the parties is not happy with… Read More »
How to Deal With Parental Alienation in Divorce
If You Are Faced With Parental Alienation, Here is What You Need to Know One very common and very sad fact about the dissolution of marriage process that divorce attorneys in Orlando Florida are forced to deal with is when a divorce involves conduct by one of the parents that amount to parental alienation…. Read More »
Should I Wait Until After Christmas to File for Divorce
Why Would It Be A Good Idea To Wait Until After Christmas To File For Divorce? As we get closer to Christmas, we always see a steep decline in the numbers of people who are filing for divorce. This will usually be followed each year by a sharp increase in divorce filings after the… Read More »
Does It Matter If I Am The First One To File For Divorce?
Can You Get A Better Result By Filing For Divorce Before Your Spouse? One of the most common questions that we receive at our Orlando divorce law firm is whether or not it makes any difference who the first person is to file for divorce and whether it would help them get a better… Read More »
Uncontested Divorce in Florida: When Is It the Right Option?
When you hear the word “divorce,” what do you imagine in your head? Is it two soon-to-be-former spouses yelling at each other in court, their children crying, and indifferent judges banging the gavel against a wooden table? Well, it does not have to be this way. More often than not, divorces in Orlando and… Read More »
Legal Requirements to Get Fathers’ Rights in Florida
Each parent believes that they are the best parent for their child and that they should have primary custody of their child after a divorce. Many fathers are not aware of the requirements to get the fathers’ rights in Florida courts. In Florida, family courts are legally required to make a decision based on… Read More »
Baby Prenups in Florida: What is it and Do You Need One?
An increasing number of parents-to-be in Florida are signing the so-called “baby prenups,” but many expectant parents are unfamiliar with the phenomenon of signing parenting contracts. Many expectant parents praise the idea of signing “baby prenups,” while others consider it a bad idea. After all, these parenting contracts remind couples that their marriage may… Read More »
Calculating Florida Alimony: 5 Things to Know When Determining Spousal Support
Determining alimony, also known as spousal support, can be tough if you are trying to do it on your own without seeking the help of an Orlando alimony lawyer. After a divorce in Florida, you may feel overwhelmed by multiple questions such as, “Will alimony be awarded in my case?” “How long will I… Read More »
Are Florida Courts Biased Against Fathers When Awarding Child Custody?
If you are a father who has already filed for divorce or are considering making this life-altering decision, you are probably worried that a Florida court would prefer the mother of your child when awarding child custody. Is your fear baseless or not? Are Florida courts biased against fathers when giving custody? That is… Read More »
The Right Time to Contact a Divorce Lawyer Is Now, Not on Divorce Monday
The Internet will tell you that revenge is a dish best served cold, but plotting for months or years to divorce your spouse under the circumstances most unfavorable to them is a bad idea. If you are planning to get a divorce, but you have questions you need to be answered before you file… Read More »
Can You Stop Paying Alimony If Your Ex Moves in With a New Partner?
One of the kinder things that has been said about Florida alimony laws is that they are old-fashioned. Some of the alimony laws still on the books come from a time when women had very limited earning potential and when men were almost always the only source of financial support for their wives and… Read More »