Archive for the Legal Tips Category

Holidays are meant to be joyful for the whole family. However, the holidays can be stressful for divorced and separated parents and their children who must deal with visitation issues. Between parents and extended families, the holidays can be tough, taxing, and traumatic for everyone involved with children of divorce or separation. It doesn’t have to be. Many holiday planners (and Martha Stewart followers) know that a well-organized holiday schedule can be the best way

Domestic Violence Awareness Month is a yearly reminder for people to be mindful of a serious situation that can be devastating to victims—leaving deep scars in women, men and children that take years and even decades to heal. The U.S. Government estimates that nearly 25% of all adult women and nearly 14% of men have been victims of physical violence by an intimate partner. As alarming as those statistics can be, what’s just as harrowing

Approximately 50,000 couples will file for divorce in Florida this year. That annual average rate ranks Florida among one of the top states in the United States for divorces. There are numerous reasons why marriages fail. Possibly one spouse is at fault due to: Adultery Abuse Financial irresponsibility Maybe there is no fault at all. One spouse might feel bored in the marriage or determine they’re just not compatible as a couple. It could be

For many Duval County children, summer begins when schools let out around June 1st and ends when the school bell rings mid-August. During those two and a half months, wonderful childhood memories—summer camps, vacations, visits to the beach, zoo and Grandma—are made. Hopefully, children of divorced parents will not recall any summer strife surrounding child custody and time-sharing schedule issues. With a bit of advanced planning, communication and effort from both parents, summer child custody

If the police have probable cause to think your cell phone contains evidence of a crime, they can obtain a search warrant to examine the content of your device. But what if you have password protected your phone? Can you be compelled to provide the police with your passcode to access the phone? Wouldn’t your refusal to provide your passcode be protected by the Fifth Amendment right against self-incriminating? In December 2016, similar questions were

Being arrested for DUI can be an overwhelming, scary experience. It is a situation the State of Florida takes seriously. Prosecutors are fully prepared to execute harsh, costly punishments even for first-time offenders. Unfortunately, you won’t just be fighting one case against you. In Florida, you’ll face two cases: A criminal case in the courtroom: Where your case will be heard before a judge. An administrative case in front of a hearing officer of the

Each November, communities across the nation celebrate National Adoption Month. It’s an opportunity to raise awareness about adoption-related issues. For Duval County, National Adoption Month unofficially kicked off on October 31st. This past Halloween, 18 kids officially got new families during a Jacksonville adoption ceremony at the Duval County courthouse. We can just imagine the festivities and delight experienced by both the children and their new parents this holiday season. Adoption can be a joyous

According to the Pew Research Center, seven-in-ten Americans use social media. The number of marriages heading to divorce ranges between 40 to 50 percent based on various sources. If you’re a Jacksonville couple heading toward divorce and have social media accounts, let’s combine the above topics into a shocking reality check: 81 percent of attorneys encountered or used posts from social media sites in divorce cases according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. While

Throughout the year, Jacksonville soccer fields team with thousands of kids and their cheering parents. Soccer parenting is a traditional way of life for many households. In April, a Facebook post and photo celebrating a 4-year old Georgia girl and her four supportive soccer parents went viral. As of mid-July, over 87,000 Facebook members shared that post and over 3.4K left comments. The photo and the story behind it have been featured in media across

A Jacksonville police officer just pulled you over. Why? Well, maybe you have a broken brake light, tag light, or another minor traffic infraction. You hand over your license, registration and insurance card as requested. The officer runs your license, then asks “did you know your license is suspended?” Your answer could mean the difference between a civil traffic infraction (moving violation)—essentially a traffic ticket with some teeth—or a criminal traffic charge (misdemeanor or felony