Recent Blog Posts
Refusing a Breathalyzer
April 30, 2015 Patricia Ebels, of Naples, a bikini-clad 49-year-old grandmother, was arrested for driving under the influence after rear ending a car stopped at a traffic light. She and her 10-year-old grandson were not injured, but the driver of the other car was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. At the scene… Read More »
Annulments in Florida
April 30, 2015 U.S. Rep Alan Grayson and his wife, Lolita Grayson, have agreed to annul their marriage of 24 years because of bigamy. Lolita Grayson claimed to have been divorced since 1981, but she was still married to another man when the Graysons married in 1990. She secretly divorced the first husband in… Read More »
Juvenile Restitution Bill
April 28, 2015 Under Florida law, victims of crimes have a right to restitution from the people who commit crimes against them. Restitution is the repayment, whether in money or in kind, of the costs and injuries that a crime caused, directly or indirectly. Both adult and juvenile offenders must pay restitution. What Is… Read More »
FSU Researchers Receive Grant to Develop Co-Parenting Toolkit
April 28, 2015 Approximately one quarter of families in the United States are composed of a single parent with children under the age of 18. Additionally, over one million children per year experience their parents’ divorce. Children are healthier and better-adjusted when their parents deal well with conflict and keep the children’s wellbeing as… Read More »
Bill to Expand Juvenile Diversion
April 22, 2015 Juveniles often make foolish choices. Unfortunately, sometimes those choices involve illegal activities and lead to encounters with the law. A criminal record can be seriously detrimental to a young person. But under Florida law, law enforcement officers may issue civil citations to juveniles who have committed first-offense misdemeanors, instead of arresting… Read More »
Grandparents’ Visitation Rights
April 22, 2015 Florida law is quite restrictive about visitation rights for grandparents. However, a bill in the current legislative session seeks to loosen those restrictions somewhat. HB 149 has passed the House, and its counterpart, SB 368, is making its way through the Senate. The Bill House Bill 149 would provide that if… Read More »
When Does Child Support End in Florida?
April 20, 2015 Child support is an important element of any divorce involving minor children. Many people assume that the payment of child support ends when the child turns eighteen. In Florida, that is, in fact, the general rule. However, there are some significant exceptions to that rule. Additionally, the manner in which child… Read More »
What Do Grand Juries Do?
April 17, 2015 A grand jury is an agency of the court, composed of 15 to 21 citizens. They determine whether there is probable cause in a criminal case, and if they find that there is probable cause, they indict, or formally accuse, the suspect. Grand juries may also report on the public welfare,… Read More »
House Committee Approves Religious Adoption Restrictions
April 7, 2015 The Florida House Judiciary Committee recently approved a “conscience protection” bill that would allow adoption agencies to discriminate against gay couples based on the agencies’ religious beliefs. This bill comes three weeks after the House voted in favor of overturning Florida’s gay adoption ban, which dates to 1977. The Bill House… Read More »
Determining Parental Responsibility in Florida
April 17, 2015 In a Florida divorce involving a child, a major part of the proceedings is determining the levels of parental responsibility that each parent will have after the divorce is finalized. Ideally in Florida, divorced or separated parents will share parental responsibility. But depending on the circumstances of the situation, one parent… Read More »
