Florida Law - The Reid Law Group - Marital and Family Law

Divorce

• Fla. Stat. § 61 – The entire chapter pertains to divorce and all the issues there in.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061ContentsIndex.html
  It can be further broken down by:
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.001-61.45, Dissolution of Marriage, Support, and Time Sharing, which includes alimony, premarital agreements, equitable distribution, child support, parenting plans, and guardians ad litem.
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061PARTIContentsIndex.html
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.502-61.542, Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act
    This act helps to avoid jurisdictional competition and conflict with courts of other states in matters of child custody to discourage shifting or kidnapping of children by the non-custodial parent from state to state in hopes of finding more favorable child custody laws.
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061PARTIIContentsIndex.html
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.55-61.58, Collaborative Law Process Act
    This act encourages the peaceful resolution of disputes and an early resolution of pending litigation through a voluntary and non-adversarial settlement process.
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061PARTIIIContentsIndex.html
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.703-61.773, Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act
    This act addresses issues of child custody and visitation that arise for parents who are deployed in the military or other national service.
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061PARTIVContentsIndex.html
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.075, Equitable distribution of marital assets and liabilities
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.075.html
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.076, Distribution of retirement plans upon dissolution of marriage
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.076.html
  • Fla. Stat. § 61.30, Child support guidelines; retroactive child support.
    http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.30.html
• Robertson v. Robertson, 593 So. 2d 491, 493 (Fla. 1991) determined that equitable distribution is based on the theory that marriage is an equal partnership.
  https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/1991/77236-0.html

Prenuptial Agreement Challenges

• Fla. Stat. § 61.079, Premarital agreements – Fla. Stat. § 61.079(7) specifically gives several bases for invalidating of prenuptial agreements.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.079.html
• Casto v. Casto, 508 So. 2d 330 (Fla. 1987) sets forth a test for whether a prenuptial agreement can be invalid.
  https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/1987/66325-0.html
• Waton v. Waton, 887 So. 2d 419 (Fla. 4th DCA 2004) sets forth that, if an unreasonable prenuptial agreement is freely entered into, the agreement will be enforced.
  https://caselaw.findlaw.com/fl-district-court-of-appeal/1048325.html
• The federal Uniform Prenuptial Agreement Act (UPAA), adopted by Florida in 2007, sets forth several rules to assist courts determine if a prenuptial agreement is enforceable.
  https://www.floridabar.org/news/tfb-journal/?durl=%2FDIVCOM%2FJN%2FJNJournal01.nsf%2F0%2F4f89d12898331bd08525729100707692

Domestic Violence

• Fla. Stat. § 741.28-741.31, MARRIAGE; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0741/0741ContentsIndex.html
  Fla. Stat. § 794, SEXUAL BATTERY.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0794/0794ContentsIndex.html
• Fla. Stat. § 787 and Fla. Stat. § 827 covers abuse and sexual battery concerning children.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0787/0787ContentsIndex.html
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0800-0899/0827/0827ContentsIndex.html
• Fla. Stat. § 784.046-784.047 covers investigations and obtaining protective injunctions for repeat domestic violence, sexual violence, or dating violence, including pretrial release violations, a public records exemption, and penalties for injunction violations.
• Fla. Stat. § 784.048-784.0487 covers stalking, including penalties for injunction violations.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0784/0784ContentsIndex.html
  The federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), passed in 1994, sets forth that a threat of or actual physical force against a victim is a crime.

Step-Parent Adoption

• Fla. Stat. § 63 covers all types of adoption, including step-parent adoption.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0063/0063.html

Mediation for Divorce Issues

• Fla. Stat. § 61.183 covers issues where mediation may be required during a divorce, including child custody and support.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?mode=View%20Statutes&SubMenu=1&App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=61.183&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.183.html

Parent and Child Relocation

• Fla. Stat. § 61.13001 covers parental relocation with a child.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13001.html

Guardian Ad Litem

• Fla. Stat. § 61.401-405 covers Guardians ad litem.
  http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061PARTIContentsIndex.html