Dade City Family Lawyer
Whether you have filed for or are merely considering divorce, it is essential that you take steps to protect your rights. By having an experienced family lawyer on your side, you can ensure that your rights are protected and your interests are being served throughout the entirety of the situation. At The Law Office of Laurie R. Chane, our firm provides comprehensive divorce representation for our clients. We take the time to get to know our clients, allowing us to better tailor our family law services to meet their needs.
We have helped clients deal with the legal aspects and emotional ramifications of their divorces. Whether a divorce is contested or uncontested, there are many issues that must be addressed, such as:
- Alimony & Spousal Support
- Child Support
- Custody & Visitation
- Divorce
- Guardianship
Every family law case is different. You deserve a Dade City family lawyer who will take the time to understand and appreciate the unique nuances of your situation. Often, the best solutions to family law issues are collaborative— involving family members working together to find the best possible solution and to protect their relationships. Of course, that is certainly not always the case. Our Dade City family lawyers are ready to fight aggressively to protect your rights.
Comprehensive Family Law Services
Our Dade City family law firm is attentive and compassionate in understanding your goals and the best means to reach them. Our firm provides a comprehensive array of family law services including:
Divorce — Divorce is known as dissolution of marriage in Florida. Under Florida family law, several processes for dissolving a marriage are recognized including a simple divorce, marital settlement agreement and the traditional divorce procedure.
Wills — A will is one estate planning tool that is available. A will determines to whom your property is distributed upon your death. Your property passes through the court-supervised probate process.
Trusts — Trusts are another type of estate planning tool. A trust is a versatile tool that can also help you distribute property upon your death. Trusts do not pass through probate, so this tool can give your family more privacy than a will. In addition, a trust can be a means to support a favorite charity or continue to support an organization after death.
Probate — Probate is the process through which your property passes if you leave a will. Probate is designed to ensure that your will is valid and your wishes are being carried out faithfully. If your will is challenged in probate, you may need a skilled probate attorney to advocate on behalf of your estate plan.
Alimony — Alimony is now known as spousal support in Florida. In most circumstances, spousal support is rehabilitative, meaning that its goal is to foster new job skills in the dependent spouse so that the dependent spouse no longer requires the support. In limited circumstances that are typically reserved for dissolution of long marriages greater than 17 years, spousal support can be permanent.
Marital settlement agreements (MSA) — An MSA is a relatively new dissolution of marriage procedure that is available to Florida residents. This process is a non-judicial procedure in which the spouses mutually agree to the terms of their divorce, child custody, child support, alimony and other matters. For low-conflict proceedings, an MSA can save time and money.
Paternity — Paternity can be the difference between receiving parental rights and merely being a “friend of the family.” Establishing paternity can entitle you to child custody or visitation rights. In addition, paternity law can be used to compel a nonmarital father to support his child.
Domestic partnership law — Domestic partnership law in Florida is a complex area of law. Our firm can help you understand the value of Florida’s local domestic partnership laws and create a comprehensive estate plan that simulates the benefits of a traditional marriage.
Child custody and time-sharing — The issue of custody can arise as part of a paternity or divorce case, or any case involving children. It is almost always preferable for parents to agree on a custody arrangement and time-sharing schedule, however, if you cannot agree, the court will step in and decide a schedule for you. Florida family courts make custody determinations based on what they believe is in the best interests of the child.
Child support — Child support is also an issue in almost any case involving a child. Florida law requires child support decisions to be based on a specific formula and the court does not have a lot of discretion in straying from these guidelines unless you can prove the results under the guidelines would be unfair or unjust.
Relocation — If you have a time-sharing agreement with your child’s other parent, you do not have the right to move more than 50 miles away from them without permission as it will affect the custody and visitation agreement. If the other parent refuses to agree to the relocation, you will have to get permission from the court, which will expect a valid reason for the move and will examine other factors to make a decision.
Prenuptial agreements — While many people consider prenuptial agreements to be unromantic, these agreements can help to resolve many issues and protect your property in the event of a future divorce. Prenuptial agreements can address property division, spousal support, and much more.
Enforcement of an order — If a court issues an order for child custody, child support, or spousal support, and your ex-spouse refuses to obey the order, you have the right to take legal action to enforce the terms of the order. You can petition the court to enforce the judgment and the court can hold the party in contempt of court and impose fines or jail time. There are also other ways to collect child support through the Florida Department of Revenue.
Modification of an order — If your circumstances have changed significantly since a support or custody order was issued, you have the right to petition the court to modify the order based on your new circumstances. If the other party requests an unfair modification, you also have the right to challenge the basis of that modification to protect your support and custody rights.
These are only some of the many family law issues with which our office can assist you. If you are facing any type of family law case, please do not hesitate to call our office to discuss your situation with us today.
Contact Our Experienced Dade City Family Lawyers
Contact the Dade City family lawyers at The Law Office of Laurie R. Chane can help address your divorce, separation agreement or other family law concerns. A member of our firm can meet with you and review your options for proceeding with your case.
