Miami family law attorney blog
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Procedure
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
When is a Florida family law case ready for trial? Typically, cases are not set for trial until the pleadings are closed and discovery is completed. In many jurisdictions in Florida, mediation is also required before a case can be set for trial. Can a trial date be set anyway if all of these conditions are not met? This was an issue in the case Pulwer v. Pearl Brothers, LLC, 3D22-1462 (Fla. 3d DCA October 26, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
What does it mean to recuse or disqualify a judge in a Florida family law case? This means you are asking the court to remove a judge from deciding your case because you can show the judge is biased or otherwise unable to fairly decide a case. This showing cannot be based on your feeling that the judge is biased - there has to be evidence to support it. This was an issue in the case J.R. v. D.C.F., 3D22-1537 (Fla. 3d DCA October 6, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
When attorney’s fees are awarded to one party in a Florida family law case, the next step is to determine the amount of fees to be awarded. This requires testimony or evidence of the amount of fees expended in order for the court to make a determination of reasonableness. This was an issue in the case Fetchick v. Fetchick, 5D21-1722 (Fla. 5th DCA August 26, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Can you appeal any order entered in a Florida family law case? Not all orders are appealable at every stage of a case. Certain non-final orders cannot be appealed. This means orders that are entered before a final judgment is entered in a case, may not be appealable until the final judgment is entered. This was an issue in the case Shavers v. Shavers, 2D21-3190 (Fla. 2d DCA August 31, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Interviewing a child as a witness in a Florida child custody case can be stressful for the child. Therefore, these interviews must be handled with care and are usually only allowed in a court proceeding with the permission of the judge. Whether a child is allowed to testify or not depends on factors weighed by the court against prejudice to the party asking for the testimony. This was an issue in the case M.S. v. Dept. of Children and Families, 3D22-1108 (Fla. 3d DCA August 17, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Who has a duty to progress a Florida family law case? The simple answer is, the party who is petitioning for relief from the court. If a case sits for too long without activity, the rules permit a court to dismiss or close a case. But certain notice has to be given to a party that this will happen after a certain period of inactivity has passed. This was an issue in the case Bravo v. CJM Partners, LLC, 3D21-1517 (Fla. 3d DCA August 17, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Can an attorney be sanctioned in a Florida family law case? It is possible for an attorney to be sanctioned for bad faith conduct in a proceeding. This usually happens when an attorney violates an order or pursues relief to which the attorney knows the client is not entitled. These sanctions are rare, however, and certain procedures must be followed to uphold the sanctions. This was an issue in the case The Shir Law Group, P.A. v. Carnevale, et. al., 3D21-0988 (Fla. 3d DCA August 10, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Florida Family Law Procedure
Can a Florida family law case be transferred from one county to another? This is a common question when, for example, one parent in a child custody case lives in one county, and the other lives in another county. It may be inconvenient for a parent to have to litigate the case in a county that is very far away from where he or she lives. Whether or not a case can be transferred depends on factors that have to be analyzed by the court as explained in At Home Auto Glass v. Mendota Ins. Co., 5D21-2052 (Fla. 5th DCA August 12, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Florida Family Law Procedure
What are some reasons a judge can be disqualified in a Florida family law case? Disqualification means the judge can no longer preside over the case and a new judge will be assigned. The person requesting disqualification must show there is a well-founded, reasonable fear that he or she will not receive a fair trial at the hands of that judge. This was an issue in the case Cini v. Cabezas, 3D22-0716 (Fla. 3d DCA August 10, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Florida Family Law Procedure
When attorney’s fees are awarded as a sanction in a Florida family law case, an expert must testify as to the reasonableness of the fees in order for the court to properly set an amount to be paid. Without the expert testimony, the fee awarded may be subject to being overturned on appeal. If it is appealed, there may not be a second opportunity to present the necessary testimony. This was an issue in the case Mitchell v. Flatt, 2D21-487 (Fla. 2d DCA August 5, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
What is service of process in a Florida family law case? When a petition for divorce is filed, for example, the spouse filing the petition is responsible for ensuring that the other spouse receives a copy of the petition. The other spouse must receive the petition in a manner allowed by law. The most common manner is service of process via a process server. In Florida, this is a person licensed to deliver lawsuit papers. A process server’s compliance with service rules was an issue in the case Becker v. Becker, 3D22-0352 (Fla. 3d DCA July 20, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
What is the Florida long-arm statute? This is a rule that specifies under what conditions a non-resident of Florida can be served with a lawsuit and a court can exercise personal jurisdiction. In a family law proceeding, the long-arm statute comes into play when. for example, a spouse moves to Florida and tries to divorce a spouse living outside of Florida. This statute was an issue in the case Murphy v. Murphy, 1D20-1117 (Fla. 1st DCA July 6, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
What is a court reporter and do you need one at your Florida family law hearing? A court reporter is a professional who records what is said at a hearing and can provide a transcript of testimony and court rulings. Why might it be important to have a court reporter at your hearing? This was an issue in the case Birnbaum v. Mortman, 4D21-2630 (Fla. 4th DCA June 29, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
When a general magistrate is appointed to preside over a family law case hearing, this triggers procedural requirements. First, all parties must usually consent to have a general magistrate hear the case. Once the hearing occurs, if a party wishes to challenge the general magistrates conclusions, that party must file the appropriate motion within ten days. This was an issue in the case Polo v. Hernandez, 3D21-2179 (Fla. 3d DCA April 6, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Can a ruling of a general magistrate be appealed in a Florida family law case? A party who disagrees with a general magistrate’s findings and recommended order can file a motion to have the judge review the the findings and recommendations, and this must be done by a certain deadline. However, the fact that a party disagrees with the conclusions reached by the general magistrate is generally not enough to sustain a challenge to those conclusions. This was an issue in the case Figueroa v. Kossiver, 5D21-1963 (Fla. 5th DCA April 8, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Appealing a Florida family law case may not be as simple as many think. There are certain steps that have to be followed procedurally before a party can appeal, and it is usually not enough that a party does not agree with a court’s decision to appeal - there has to be a legal basis for appeal. The procedure for appeal was an issue in the case Doukas v. Doukas, 1D21-3002 (Fla. 1st DCA March 16, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
When a party does not agree with findings or recommendations made by a general magistrate in a Florida family law case, what can be done? According to rules of procedure, a party must object to a general magistrate’s report within 10 days by filing a motion for exceptions, in which case the judge presiding over the case will hold a hearing to review the exceptions to the report. This was an issue in the case Fletcher v. McCulloch, 4D21-2708 (Fla. 4th DCA March 9, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
How long does a party have to enforce a Florida child support order? The right of child support belongs to a child under the law, so it is difficult to argue that a parent “waived” child support arrears by not pursuing them in a timely manner. However, a defense known as laches could be used to defeat a request to enforce past-due child support that has not been pursued in a reasonable amount of time. This was an issue in the case Alcalde v. Alcalde, 3D20-0998 (Fla. 3d DCA March 9, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
Many parties to a Florida family law case ask “Do I HAVE to give the other side my private information”? As part of the case, parties can ask for discovery. Discovery is a process in which each side can request of each other documents or information relevant to the case. For example, in a case to establish child support, each side may be asked to produce paystubs and bank statements to prove income. There are limits to discovery, however, and a party can object to providing certain documents, in which case the judge decides if the objection is valid. This was an issue in the case Sahmoud v. Marwan, 3D20-1311 (Fla. 3d DCA March 9, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Family Law Procedure
How is a Florida family law case started? After a petition is filed, it usually needs to be delivered to the other party by a process server. Once this delivery occurs, the case is usually considered “initiated”. Other documents besides the petition may need to be delivered to the other party by the process server in order to validate the delivery. This was an issue in the case Oliveira v. Sims, 3D21-1255 (Fla. 3d DCA February 9, 2022).
