Recent Blog Posts
Why a Temporary Parenting Order Can Shape the Entire Case
By: Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney How early time-sharing arrangements create real evidence and influence the path of a Florida parenting case A temporary parenting order is not a final judgment. Even so, the routines created by that order can become some of the most important evidence the court sees later. Temporary… Read More »
The Digital Parenting Plan
By Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney How clear rules for apps, calendars, records, devices, and virtual contact can reduce conflict between Florida co-parents A parenting plan written only for pickup times and holidays is incomplete. Much of modern co-parenting now happens through portals, apps, shared calendars, school systems, and the child’s devices…. Read More »
Your Case Has a Digital Witness
By Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney Proving text messages, social media, and other digital evidence in a Florida family law case A damaging text can change a case. A cropped image with no reliable connection to its sender may change nothing. The difference lies in how the evidence was preserved, authenticated, and… Read More »
When a Child Comes Home With a Troubling Disclosure
By: Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney How to protect the child, avoid suggestive questioning, and preserve reliable evidence in a Florida parenting case A child’s statement may require immediate protection. It may also become the center of a disputed parenting case. The first adult response can affect both the child’s welfare and… Read More »
Alcohol Monitoring in Florida Parenting Cases
By Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney What breath tests, PEth, EtG, and continuous monitoring can prove, and what a workable court order should say Alcohol allegations become useful to a court only when the evidence answers the right question. A test for recent exposure, a point-in-time breath result, and a longer-term biomarker… Read More »
The Business Owner Who Is “Broke” on Paper
By Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney How Florida Courts Look Beyond Salary When Deciding Child Support A business can produce substantial revenue while its owner receives a modest paycheck. It can also be genuinely failing while tax records create the illusion of income. Florida child-support law requires more than reading one number… Read More »
Is 50/50 Time-Sharing Automatic in Florida? What the Presumption Really Means.
By: Laura A. Olson, Florida Family Law Attorney Florida law begins with a presumption in favor of equal time-sharing, but it does not make the outcome automatic. The court must still decide whether an equal schedule serves this particular child under the family’s actual circumstances. The short answer Florida law now begins with a… Read More »
Does Equitable Distribution Mean an Equal Division of Property in a Florida Divorce?
Many people going through a divorce assume that marital property will automatically be divided equally between spouses. While Florida law often begins with a presumption of a 50/50 division, that does not necessarily mean every divorce results in an exactly equal split of assets and debts. Florida follows a legal concept known as equitable… Read More »
What Happens to the Marital Home in a Tampa Divorce?
For many couples, the marital home is one of the most valuable — and emotionally significant — assets involved in a divorce. Whether you have minor children who want stability, concerns about mortgage affordability, or disagreements about whether to sell the property, determining what happens to the marital home can become one of the… Read More »
Can Alimony Still Effectively Last a Lifetime in Florida After Permanent Alimony Was Eliminated?
Florida’s 2023 alimony reform dramatically changed the landscape of divorce litigation throughout the state. One of the most significant changes was the elimination of permanent alimony for new cases. For many people, however, that immediately raised another question: “If permanent alimony no longer exists, can someone still end up paying alimony for decades?” In… Read More »