Recent Blog Posts
Registering as a Sexual Offender in Florida
June 3, 2015 Committing a sexual offense is a serious crime in Florida and has consequences beyond a prison sentence, fine, probation, or treatment program. Sex offenders must also register with their local sheriff’s offices, periodically report to the sheriff’s office, and keep law enforcement updated on their travel outside their counties of residence…. Read More »
Stepparent Adoption in Florida
June 3, 2015 It is common for a parent to remarry after a divorce. One important issue in remarriages involving stepchildren is the legal relationship between the child and the stepparent. In Florida, a stepparent has no parental rights over a child and has no responsibilities toward the child. Only biological or adoptive parents… Read More »
Five Substances Added to the Controlled Substances List
May 29, 2015 Five dangerous synthetic cannabinoids have been added to Florida’s list of controlled substances. House Bill 897 passed the Florida legislature unanimously and was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott. It classifies the five drugs as Schedule I controlled substances, effective immediately. Schedule I Schedule I controlled substances have a high… Read More »
Interference With Child Custody
May 29, 2015 Heather Hironimus, the mother whose refusal to circumcise her son has made national news, now faces criminal charges for interference with custody. She fought a legal battle for years, trying to prevent her four-year-old son from being circumcised, though she had agreed to circumcision in the parenting plan. Hironimus was recently… Read More »
What are Lesser Included Offenses?
May 25, 2015 Many criminal charges have less serious charges contained within them; often, a misdemeanor is contained within a felony. These less serious charges are known as lesser included offenses. A person may be charged with both the greater charge and the lesser included offense. If a jury does not find that the… Read More »
Modifying Parenting Plans in Florida
May 25, 2015 A parenting plan is an essential tool for co-parenting. The creation of a parenting plan is required in all cases where parents have time-sharing with minor children. The plan outlines each parent’s responsibilities to the child and specifies a time-sharing schedule. Courts approve parenting plans based on the child’s best interests,… Read More »
Name Changes for Children
May 21, 2015 Parents may seek to change their children’s names for a variety of reasons, whether because of a parent’s divorce or marriage, or any other reason. Though name changes sometimes result from a parent’s changing relationship with a child, a name change does not have any effect on a parent’s legal obligations… Read More »
Property Division in Military Divorce
May 19, 2015 Property settlements in Florida, both for military and non-military divorces, are based on equitable distribution. This does not necessarily mean equal distribution, but rather that a judge will consider a list of factors to determine how to fairly divide the property. However, in military divorces, there are some special considerations and… Read More »
Embezzlement in Florida
May 18, 2015 A Brevard County School District employee was arrested recently for embezzling. Natalie Jean Jones, who was employed as a bookkeeper at a middle school, stole over $100,000 from Brevard Public Schools. She would make out legitimate checks to vendors, which would be recorded in a disbursement journal. She would then cancel… Read More »
Military Divorce Laws
May 14, 2015 The divorce process is complex, but it is even more complicated if one of the divorcing spouses is a member of the military. Though the grounds for divorce do not change if one spouse is in the military, there are several important differences. If you or your spouse is a service… Read More »
