As a full-service family law firm in Florida, our dedicated team provides comprehensive assistance over a wide range of family law matters, including, but not limited to, post judgment modifications of child support and custody, paternity, as well as issues that may arise in the context of a divorce or remarriage. We can also help you with you with stepparent and relative adoption, as well as changing the legal names of spouses and children. The team at The Legal Connection are available to help any time a need arises in any of these areas of law. Furthermore, we offer help in criminal defense cases as these are family related matters.
Below are just some of the main areas of family law The Legal Connection practices in.
- Modify, Enforce, Domesticate Final Judgments
- Paternity of Children Outside of Marriage
- Child Support Modification
- Child Relocation
- Father’s Rights
- Domestic Violence
- Mediation and Alternative Dispute
- Prenuptial & Post-Marital Agreements
- Parenting Plans
- Adoption (Adult or Child)
- Name Changes
- Divorce and Marital Law
Family Law Attorneys: Responsive and Committed
Our team can provide sound legal advice and high-quality representation to assure that you are well-represented in the family law process and that your needs are met now and into the future.
- Child relocation means relocating more than 50 miles away from the other parent. You can ask for relocation in a divorce petition or subsequent to a final judgment divorce. There are procedures which must be followed for the relocation to be legal. Essentially, you are required to serve the request by process server on the other parent. If he or she does not file a response within a certain time period, then you can obtain a default. If he or she does respond and objects to the move, then the court must decide whether to allow the relocation. It is primarily based upon the best interests of the child. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain an agreement from the father or mother allowing for the relocation and obtain a court order on the agreement without the necessity of a hearing on the matter.
- Modification and enforcement of final judgments pertain to children issues such as child custody and child support. These matters can always can be modified except that it requires a substantial change in circumstances that could not be contemplated at the time the prior order was entered. Furthermore, it must be in the child’s best interest to make the change. The division of assets, debts, retirement accounts, etc. cannot be modified by the court following a final judgment on the matter. If the parties agree to the change, than an agreement can be signed and a court order obtained.
- Father’s Rights and Paternity – If you and the mother are not married, then it is imperative that you file a paternity action to establish that you are the father. Otherwise, you will not have legal rights to the child. This is because it must proven to the court that you are the father, as the mother is known and the father is not always known even if he is on the birth certificate. You will also establish time sharing and child support through either agreement or a court order when you establish paternity,
- Mediation – Is required in most places in Florida if the parties cannot otherwise come to an agreement. Most hearings for temporary child support, child visitation and custody and alimony, etc. will not be heard by the court until after mediation has occurred and the parties are unable to resolve their differences. Your options are county mediation for cases involving easily resolved issues and private mediation for cases with more complex issues.
- Child Support Modification – After an initial order on child support of a final judgment of divorce is entered, child support can be modified as long as the change would be at least $50 or 15% – whichever is greater. This is considered a substantial change in circumstances.
- Paternity – Including helping you as a mother seeking child support payments from the child’s father, and you as a father seeking to establish fatherhood and to obtain time sharing/visitation rights. as well as to determine child support. Essentially, both parties are in some way responsible for child support as determined by the Florida Child Support Guidelines.
- Civil (or Criminal) Domestic Violence – We can file a domestic violence injunction and work to obtain a temporary or permanent restraining order to protect you and your family. We can also help you if there is criminal domestic violence charge.
- Adoptions -We handle adoptions of both minor children and adult stepchildren or relatives, including contested adoptions. If the other parent agrees to the adoption then it is fairly easy to accomplish. If not, as for children there are statutory requirements concerning abandonment which must be found to overrule an objecting parent.
- Name Changes – We have helped thousands of Floridians legally change their name or their children’s name due to changing family status or for personal preference. This is especially important to change your name legally to obtain your Florida Driver’s License.
