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Category Archives: Family Law

What to do when Your Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support

When Your Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support: Dos and Don’ts

By Sean Smallwood |

What to Do When Your Ex Refuses to Pay Child Support We’ll go into more detail with each option, but when your ex refuses to pay child support, here’s a short list of what to do: Attempt to communicate with your former spouse about the child support payments they owe Take legal action with… Read More »

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Should I Get Divorced?

By Sean Smallwood |

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 »

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puzzle pieces

Uncontested Divorce in Florida: When Is It the Right Option?

By Sean Smallwood |

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 »

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Father standing apart from family

Legal Requirements to Get Fathers’ Rights in Florida

By Sean Smallwood |

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 »

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Parenting Plans in family law and child custody

What is a Parenting Plan and Why do Family Lawyers Use Them?

By Sean Smallwood |

Whenever an Orlando family law attorney is engaged in litigation that involves child custody issues, he or she will spend a great deal of time contemplating what terms are to be negotiated and placed into a parenting plan. A parenting plan is a written instruction manual that addresses nearly every aspect of the parenting… Read More »

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family law parental responsibility

What is Shared Parental Responsibility in Family Law?

By Sean Smallwood |

In Florida when a family law attorney is assisting his client in developing a parenting plan that will govern the time-sharing over the children involved in the case one of the main items that will need to be addressed as that of parental responsibility. Parental responsibility is a portion of Florida family law that… Read More »

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family lawyer

Florida Parenting Plans Help Unmarried Parents Stop Drama Before it Starts

By Sean Smallwood |

The only thing worse than arguing with your spouse about when and where to spend time with your children or about decisions your spouse makes about the children’s behavior or expenditures is having these same arguments with your former spouse.  People who have children together, even if they are no longer married to each… Read More »

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GAL use in family law

What Is A Guardian Ad Litem and Why Would I Need One for My Family Law Case?

By Sean Smallwood |

When a family law case involves child custody issues it is not uncommon for the case to consist of a great deal of “he said, she said”. This can make it very hard for Orlando, FL family lawyers and the Courts to determine whose version of the events is true especially when both mom… Read More »

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family law and foster care in Florida

Myths and Facts About Foster Care in Florida Family Law

By Sean Smallwood |

Do children in foster care live in luxurious mansions where they ride ponies in the backyard of their foster parents’ house or lounge atop an inflatable alligator raft in the swimming pool?  Do they live in group homes where the person with whom they share a room is close in age and their relationship… Read More »

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family lawyers create parenting plans

Frequently Asked Questions About Parenting Plans in Florida

By Sean Smallwood |

A lot of people who have recently gotten divorced put on a smile and talk about what a relief it is to be rid of an unwanted spouse.  A recently divorced man’s friends may congratulate him on finally being free of the old ball and chain, while a recently divorced woman may excitedly tell… Read More »

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scales of justice

Modification Of Divorce Judgments

By Sean Smallwood |

How Can I Modify My Final Judgment From My Family Law Case? When it comes to judgments ordered stemming from family law cases the ability to seek a modification will depend on what provision from the order one seeks to change and how much time has passed since the entering of the order. The… Read More »

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gavel

Shared Parental Responsibility In Child Custody Cases

By Sean Smallwood |

Where Does Shared Parental Responsibility Come From? What Do I Need To Know? When it comes to family law cases in Florida there are many different things that the courts will look for when deciding the case. Some of these come from the statutes which are codified laws developed by the legislature while other factors are… Read More »

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Grandparent Child Visitation Rights Addressed by Recent Florida Cases

By Sean Smallwood |

Grandparent Child Visitation Rights Addressed by Recent Florida Cases A Guest Post Two parents in Tampa, Florida did not react well to losing custody of their two children to the maternal grandparents. The father barged into his mother-in-law’s house, tied her up, and fled to Cuba with the children and his wife. Luckily, the… Read More »

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Can I Represent Myself In A Family Law Case?

By Sean Smallwood |

Should Non-Lawyers Try To Represent Themselves In Family Law Cases? Family law cases in most states are not treated the same way as criminal cases. In a criminal case where a defendant’s life and/or liberty are in jeopardy the state will appoint a public defender to represent the defendant if they can not afford… Read More »

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Grandparent’s Rights Bill Gains Speed: Orlando Child Custody Attorney

By Sean Smallwood |

Florida Child Custody Attorneys May Soon Add Grandparents Rights To Their List Of Services: Grandparent’s rights is an area of Florida child custody law that has historically been very limited. Currently, one of the only ways a grandparent can be granted court ordered time-sharing with a child is in a dependency court which is… Read More »

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Orlando Child Visitation Attorney Information

By Sean Smallwood |

Orlando Child Visitation Attorney Talks About Custody in Florida Every custody court in Florida will examine a visitation case first and foremost in terms of what is the best interests of the child involved. Often parties and attorneys get confused about the best interests of the child versus the best interests of the parent…. Read More »

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Child Support Modification In Orlando Florida; Attorney Sean Smallwood

By Sean Smallwood |

How Can I Modify My Child Support Payment? There are many ways in Florida to modify a child support order whether you are the parent receiving support or the parent paying the support. In this blog post Sean Smallwood, ESQ. our Orlando family law attorney offers some information on this topic. Any time there… Read More »

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