Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Drafting a Florida Parenting Plan
In Florida, couples with children can’t officially get divorced until they come up with a parenting plan that outlines how they will share custody. These agreements must contain certain information, including not only a visitation schedule, but also a description of how the parents will share parental responsibilities. A failure to include any of… Read More »
Calculating Durational Alimony Under the New Florida Alimony Law
This year, Florida lawmakers passed a sweeping alimony reform law that officially went into effect in July. Besides abolishing permanent alimony, the new law also modified the formula used for calculating durational alimony and placed significant limits on the duration and amounts of those awards. Read on to learn more about the ins and… Read More »
Extending a Domestic Violence Injunction in Florida
When a Florida judge enters a domestic violence injunction, the protections offered by that order don’t remain in place indefinitely, but will expire on a certain date. Many victims of domestic violence, rightfully fearing the loss of those protections, wish to extend those deadlines. Fortunately, in certain cases, courts are willing to extend domestic… Read More »
What Kinds of Temporary Financial Relief Can be Awarded During a Florida Divorce?
In Florida, a divorce can’t be finalized until certain issues have been addressed, like alimony, property division, and child custody. While some of those resolutions will be permanent (e.g. property settlement agreements), courts are also willing to issue temporary awards. As their name implies, these kinds of awards are designed to remain in effect… Read More »
Commingling Marital and Separate Assets
During a divorce, a couple’s assets are typically divided into two categories: marital property and separate property. Marital property is made up of those assets that a couple acquired during the course of a marriage, while separate property is composed of assets acquired before the marriage actually took place. In most cases, an asset… Read More »
The Tax Repercussions of Divorce
While taxes may be the last thing on a divorcing couple’s mind, the reality is that ending a marriage does come with significant and far-reaching tax-related repercussions. Alimony and a name or filing status change, for instance, are only a few things that divorcing parties should be sure to consider. Read on to learn… Read More »
Alimony Reform in Florida
For many years, Florida lawmakers have been attempting to do away with permanent alimony. These attempts were finally successful at the end of June, when Governor DeSantis signed this year’s alimony reform bill into law. The terms of the law will have a significant impact on alimony wards moving forward, as its terms apply… Read More »
Where to Look for Hidden Assets During Divorce
Ending a marriage can be a daunting prospect for any couple. This process can, however, be particularly overwhelming when one of the spouses suspects the other of hiding assets during divorce. Fortunately, it’s possible for divorcing couples to keep each other honest and for wronged spouses to identify hidden assets and notify the court… Read More »
Parenting Coordinators May be Able to Help with Your Custody Issues
Prioritizing their child’s well-being is of the utmost importance for most divorcing parents. This, however, will require the development of a comprehensive divorce agreement and parenting plan. Unfortunately, creating such an agreement is often easier said than done. There are, however, a lot of third party individuals, including parenting coordinators, who can help families… Read More »
It May be Time to Modify Your Alimony Arrangement
Many divorce-related decrees can feel like they are set in stone. While it’s true that court orders are legally binding, they can in some cases be changed. Read on to learn more about modifying an alimony award in Florida. When is a Modification of Alimony Justified? Alimony awards require a divorced party to provide… Read More »
