Blog Posts in January, 2015

Judge Grants First Same-Sex Divorce in Florida

Wednesday, December 17 marked an historical day in Florida. Broward County Circuit Judge Dale Cohen granted the very first formal divorce of a same-sex couple in the state. The case was used as a way for the judge to join others in declaring unconstitutional Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage. The marriage in question was between two women who were united by a civil union in Vermont in 2002. One ...

The Many Shades of Alimony in Florida

Ideally, when a couple divorces, both spouses are able to walk away from the marriage financial independent and able to strike out on their own. However, occasionally the divorce will leave one spouse in a poor financial condition and the other will be required to provide some degree of support for that spouse. Known as alimony, this support can be temporary or may even be set up as a permanent ...

Adultery and Divorce: Does Cheating Matter in Florida?

Florida takes a “no fault” approach to divorce. This means that either spouse may seek a divorce and does not need to actually prove that the other did anything “wrong” to trigger the divorce. Florida courts presume simply that the marriage is “irretrievably broken” and allow the divorce to proceed on those grounds. This saves both spouses the trouble and stress of having their personal lives ...

Divorce vs. Annulment in Florida

For a couple seeking to end their marriage, one of the first questions they may wonder is if they qualify for an annulment. An annulment is quite different from divorce; although both proceedings involve a change in marital status, annulments are legal proceedings that nullify a marriage rather than simply terminating it. To qualify for an annulment in Florida, a couple needs to meet certain ...