Ocala Divorce Lawyer Blog

The Los Angeles Times had an interesting article recently which explains the impact of divorce and remarriage on receipt of Social Security funds. Nearly 50 percent of marriages will end in divorce, and many retirees are not married because of divorce. Social Security benefits are the main source of income for over 70 percent of unmarried retirees, so it is important for individuals to learn how previous marriages can affect their plans for retirement.

Social Security sends out quarterly statements to help people plan for their retirement and estimate their benefits. However, these statements fail to properly address the impact divorce has on future benefits. In fact, divorced people often make costly errors because they don't understand spousal and survivor benefits, said Leslie Walker, communications director for the Social Security Administration in Richmond, Calif. "The closer you get to retirement age, the more you need to know the rules.

You may claim spousal benefits if you were previously married for 10 years and if your spouse was paying Social Security taxes during that time. If you worked for at least 10 years and paid Social Security taxes, you may be eligible for personal benefits as well. You cannot claim both spousal and personal benefits, but you can claim the option that gives you the larger amount of money.

However, if you remarry prior to turning 60 years old, you become ineligible to spousal benefits from a previous spouse . If you wait to remarry until after turning 60, you can retain rights to spousal or survivor benefits. Most divorce lawyers are incompletely unversed on the impact on a "gray divorce" and collecting social security.

Survivor benefits are a preferred option since you are given 100 percent of your former spouse's benefits as opposed to 50 percent from spousal benefits. If you have been married twice and both of your spouses are deceased, you cannot claim benefits for both spouses. However, you may choose the benefits from the spouse that would pay you the most.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation. Call for your appointment today.

As archaic as it may sound, in the not too distant past - the preference was for the court to award primary child custody to the mother and "weekend visitation" to the the father. This model has been seriously eroded in the past 10 years or so, but still exists in many places. A recent study found, though, that the general public favors joint custody (also known in Florida as equal time-sharing), with parents sharing equally splitting the children's available time. Courts that continue to award primary custody to mothers automatically, without a good hard look at rotating custody or equal time-sharing, are going to find themselves increasingly at odds with the desires of society, the authors of the study concluded.

The researchers looked at polls and ballot initiatives and found that there was consistent public support for equal child custody. In addition, the researchers surveyed people about their feelings on child custody, and found that there was a strong preference for dividing a child's time equally between both parents.

Perhaps surprisingly, people who responded to the survey felt that equal parenting time was appropriate even in cases where there was a high level of conflict between the parents. The probably had more to do with "custodial parent" not being able to use the child as a pawn or weapon against the other parent.

Lead author Sanford L. Braver said, "The striking degree to which the public favors equal custody combined with their view that the current court system under-awards parenting time to fathers could account for past findings that the system is seriously slanted toward mothers."

The Arizona State University researchers noted an interesting aspect of the survey in which responders still preferred a 50-50 split even in hypothetical cases where the mother had provided 75% of the child care duties before the divorce, and in hypothetical cases where fathers had provided 75% of the child care pre-divorce.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation. Call for your appointment today.

A story from Tampa Bay Online, shows that sometimes being done does not really mean being done. The Florida legislature is considering another redo of the statues that govern Florida family law, Chapter 61. And although they just finished "tinkering" with the statute just last year, they are now proposing to further amend spousal support requirements for those who are ordered to pay alimony.

"We want to do things equitably and fairly," said Rep. Kelli Stargel. She said she knows men who have been ordered to pay so much in alimony that they're unable "to live their lives." Some told her that they would be better off financially if they simply stopped working. Representative Stargel is pushing a proposal that would stop the state's courts from automatically awarding permanent alimony when there's a divorce after a long marriage. The bill's proponents say it would also include safeguards to prevent the person paying alimony from becoming worse off financially than that the person on the receiving end of spousal support.

Last month, the House Civil Justice Subcommittee voted unanimously to approve Stargel's proposal protecting those who pay alimony. A similar bill is in the Senate, but has not yet been voted on.

A 56-year-old man interviewed for an article on the bill said it needs to go further in remaking Florida law. He was divorced in 2007 following 27 years of marriage. He said he was ordered by a court to pay $2,000 a month in permanent alimony from his $66,000 per year salary. He claims his ex-wife worked throughout their marriage, only to quit her job during their divorce.

Another divorced man said the proposed legislation "will stop the easy payoff, this easy money these women are getting." He claims he pays $700 per month out of a yearly income of $17,000.

When courts award spousal support they must look to the statutory factors of Chapter 61.08 that guides the award of spousal support, and are supposed to consider need vs. ability to pay, income, the couple's marriage lifestyle, the length of their marriage, their ages and health conditions, the contributions the two parties made to the marriage, assets and other factors.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation. Call for your appointment today.

Too often when client's are first handling the throws of divorce or separation, the emotions involved run very high. There is an old adage that says criminal lawyers see bad people at their best and divorce lawyers see good people at their worst.

Sometimes, however, emotions become too high and it turns into violence. Attorneys and Judges work very hard to keep this from happening. Yet, just last month, a 28-year-old Florida man was arrested after he viciously beat his wife right in front of a judge. The man and his wife were involved in a divorce court hearing at the time. He now faces criminal charges for felony battery, domestic violence and resisting arrest. For the full story see this link.

The incident took place in the judge's chambers (office). The man reportedly stormed out of the room after the judge ordered him to pay child support for his two young children and gave him court ordered parenting time. The man returned a short time later and began screaming at the judge and his wife. He then reportedly began hitting his 23-year-old wife in the head and face and choking her.

The woman's attorney attempted to stop the violent man by putting him in a bear hug. The man, who is an ex-Marine, would not surrender even after police intervened. He was finally subdued after being shot with a stun gun.

The woman was taken to a hospital where she was treated for a broken nose, broken bones in her face and a torn lip.

Child custody, child support, and divorce are all difficult issues which put a great deal of stress on individuals and families. Nevertheless, no person has the right to let stress turn into violence. And because of his poor choices, this man will now face serious criminal charges, and parenting time with his children could potentially jeopardized as well.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation. Please call to today.

I had seen this list about a year ago at a Family Law meeting. I'd like to post this to my blog to remind divorcing parents that their actions and words have a direct impact on their children during a divorce. If you are going through a divorce or contested family law matter, please keep these in mind when helping your children cope with the issues that arise during the litigation.

DIVORCE RULES
Dear Mom and Dad,
I'm just a kid, so please...

1. Do not talk badly about my other parent. (This makes me feel torn apart! It also makes me feel bad about myself.)

2. Do not talk about my other parent's friends or relatives. (Let me care for someone even if you don't.)

3. Do not talk about the divorce or other grown-up stuff. (This makes me feel sick. Please leave me out of it.)

4. Do not talk about child support. (This makes me feel guilty or like I'm a possession instead of your kid.)

5. Do not make me feel bad when I enjoy time with my other parent. (This makes me afraid to tell you things.)

6. Do not block my visits or prevent me from speaking to my other parent on the phone. (This makes me very upset.)

7. Do not interrupt my time with my other parent by calling too much or by planning my activities during our time together.

8. Do not argue in front of me or on the phone when I can hear you. (This turns my stomach inside out!)

9. Do not ask me to spy for you when I'm at my other parent's home. (This makes me feel disloyal and dishonest.)

10.Do not ask me to keep secrets from my other parent. (Secrets make me feel anxious.)

11.Do not ask me questions about my other parent's life. (This makes me uncomfortable. Just let me tell you.)

12.Do not give me verbal messages to deliver to my other parent. (I end up feeling anxious about their reaction. Please call them, leave them a message at work or put a note in the mail.)

13.Do not send written messages with me or place them in my bag. (This also makes me uncomfortable.)

14.Do not blame my other parent for the divorce or for things that go wrong in your life. (This really feels terrible! I end up wanting to defend them from your attack. Sometimes it makes me feel sorry for you and want to protect you. I just want to be a kid, so please, please...stop putting me in the middle!)

15.Do not treat me like an adult. (It causes way too much stress for me.) Please find a friend or therapist to talk with.

16.Do not ignore my other parent or sit on opposite sides of the room during my school or sports activities. (This makes me feel sad and embarrassed. Please act like parents and be friendly, even if it is just for me.)

17.Do let me take items to my other home as long as I can carry them back and forth. (Otherwise it feels like you are treating me like a possession.)

18.Do not use guilt to pressure me to love you more and do not ask me where I want to live.

19.Do realize that I have two homes, not just one. (It doesn't matter how much time I spend there.) I'd also really appreciate it if you would let my other parent come into our house every now and then, because it's my home too!

20.Do let me love both of you and see each of you as much as possible!

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation. Call for your consultation today.

Being in the military takes a huge toll on your private life. With multiple deployments, in marriages where sometimes both spouses are in the military, can make it seem almost impossible to maintain what it takes to keep a marriage together. Even if you are in the States and your spouse is deployed, the months and months apart make it difficult keep any kind of martial cohesiveness. Even though military families today are able to use e-mail and video chats to keep in better touch, these tools still can't maintain the feelings of intimacy and togetherness that keep marital bonds strong.

Over half of all military personnel are married, and 70% of military personnel have children. The divorce rate for active-duty military personnel has risen from 2.6% in 2001 to 3.6% in 2009, surpassing the civilian divorce rate of 3.4%. In 2009 there were around fifty thousand military divorces. In response to the strain on families, the Pentagon has increased spending to a record $9 billion on family support programs, including more for child-care services and family counseling.

Military divorce numbers also do not include personnel who get divorced a year or two after leaving the military. Often times when the solider comes home, there is a huge attempt to rekindle the marriage and make the marriage work. Unfortunately, there are other factors involved, such as Post-Combat stress that undermine these attempts of saving the marriage.

There is also another factor not considered: many military marriages that are in trouble are maintained, at least officially, to retain benefits. It is not unusual for troubled couples in the military to remain married in order to continue receiving higher housing payments. A civilian spouse who divorces a service member loses his or her military health coverage.

Nearly 800,000 National Guard members and reservists have been called to active duty, since 9/11, the most since World War II. A half-million have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan - and 200,000 have served multiple tours. Nearly 100,000 Guard members and reservists are currently serving on active duty. The stresses on the families of these personnel is enormous.

Research has found that military women have the harder time staying married. Divorce rates are two to three times higher for female service members than for men. The highest divorce rate occurs with military women married to civilian men.

"Military families are stressed - really, really, really stressed," said Dr. Benjamin Karney, a professor of social psychology at UCLA who has studied military marriages for the Rand Corp., a California think tank that often does studies for the military. To read more about the Pentagon's steps to reduce the divorce rate in military personnel, please click on the link to read the entire story.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation to analyze your case with you. Call for your consultation today.

Buyer Beware is never more true than when buying a home from a divorcing couple. Marriage break-ups can be tense. And when divorcing couples sell their homes, it's buyer, agent and everyone that should be cautious.

There are about one million divorces a year in the United States and in most cases, there's a home that needs to be sold. That can mean great bargains, because couples divorcing -- like those in foreclosure -- are often among the most motivated of sellers, willing to accept offers below market value.

Still, house hunters may well pay the price in terms of aggravation and time when working with these sellers.

Buyers must wade through the venom generated by the divorce. Often, one spouse is anxious to sell while the other tries to sabotage the deal -- either out of spite or an unwillingness to end the marriage.

"Most of my divorcing clients dislike each other very much so navigating the transaction can be tricky," said Scott Weeda, a Seattle-based real estate agent who specializes in divorce. To read more about the dangers of buying a home from a divorcing couple, please click on this link.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

Is it illegal to snoop on your spouse's e-mail? That will be the question before the court in the case of Mr. Leon Walker. He "hacked" into his wife's e-mail (she kept the password in her address book next to the computer), and found that she was having an affair. Now the couple has filed for divorce, and Walker has been charged with unauthorized access to a computer in order to "acquire, alter, damage, delete or destroy property." Currently there is case law in Florida that prevents spouses from using intercepted communications from the other spouse's computer in court. See O'Brien v. O'Brien, 899 So 2d 1133, Fla. 5th DCA, 2005.

The case is being heard in Michigan, but Florida and Marion County divorce lawyers will be very interested in the outcome of the case. Many Florida divorce cases begin with the discovery, via e-mail, text messages or social media, of infidelity or other secrets. If one spouse can be prosecuted for looking at another spouse's private communications, it could change the situation in many family law cases.

The law Walker is being charged under is usually used against hackers intent on making money or causing damage.

Walker's wife had been married twice before. By snooping, Walker discovered that she was having an affair with her second husband. Walker says that he had every right to poke around in the computer because he was concerned that his wife's ex-husband might be abusive around their young children. The ex-husband had previously been convicted of abuse.

Other arguments Walker will make include: that he bought the computer in question, that it was in his home, and that his wife left the password where anyone could find it.

Walker said, "I felt that with the risk to my daughter and to my stepson, I had an obligation to check. I had no choice."

The prosecutors in the case disagree. They feel the case is justified. But the defense will say that the law does not apply to domestic snooping.

A bigger question will be whether it is worthwhile for police and courts to pursue criminal cases when people have been looking at someone else's e-mail or other private communications.

If you need assistance with your divorce or family law matter, please call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

I have included some helpful tips to assist in making it through the holiday season either during or after divorce. Time-sharing with the children during this period of time often creates the most turmoil during the divorce process. I hope this list helps.

1. No fighting about the holidays in front of the children. This should go without saying, but sometimes a reminder helps. Also, please don't use the children to pass messages back and forth. Usually during the holiday season both parents feel that they are getting the "short end of the stick." Remember. the time sharing arrangement varies from year to year, so if you did not get Christmas eve this year, it should be yours next year. Just remember to keep the kids out of the fighting over holiday time sharing.

2. Try to be flexible with holiday time-sharing. With family and friends coming in for the holidays - there are often requests to switch days or just periods of time. Remembering that this is is a special time for the children to see out-of-town relatives, might make it more palatable to switch days or evenings around.

3. Do something fun for yourself - if you don't have that particular holiday, like Thanksgiving or Christmas with the kids - finds something fun to do. Maybe spend the night close to a big shopping mall and get there really early (think Florida Mall hotel right next to the Florida Mall). Visit a Bed and Breakfast in St. Augustine and just roam around the little shops and boutiques. Schedule a manicure or pedicure - for a spa day. Watch marathon football or chick flicks and stock up on the popcorn. Maybe a hunting trip with a buddy. Visit the Appleton or Harn museum or go to an art show. A trip to the bookstore for coffee and browse through magazines. The choices are endless and there are always many free or next to free things to do in Central Florida during the holiday period.

4. Surround yourself with supportive friends and family. Those same people who helped see you through the divorce, can also help see you through the holiday season. It is never a good idea to isolate yourself during the holidays. Getting out and socializing with others can even take your mind off your problems as you enjoy the company of those who love you.

5. Create new "traditions" for yourself: if you always did particular things with your former- spouse and children, it would be extremely helpful to create new traditions that you do with yourself or that you do with children. Going to Church or Synagogue, visit friends and family, get the tree out early and start decorating. Being alone does not mean being lonely. Enjoy some of the free time that you didn't have before. Consider doing something completely different from previous years. If you are alone this year think about taking a trip or spending time with friends out of town. If you have your children, consider celebrating the holiday in a different location, in the mountains or at the beach.

6. Give your children the gift of a guilt-free holiday season. This gift is absolutely priceless. Don't make them responsible for your happiness or entertainment. Don't spend so much money that you feel "taken advantage of." Children would rather have a holiday with a fun-filled parent than one with lots of presents and a parent who is angry, overwhelmed and resentful.

7. Celebrate Thanksgiving/Christmas more than once. Just because a holiday falls on a particular day, doesn't mean it can't be celebrated on a different day. If you will not be with your children on a holiday, call or send a gift or card to make contact with them, then celebrate with them on the next day that you are together. Most children love celebrating holidays more than once.

8. Please don't wait until the last minutes to make time-sharing arrangements or changes to the schedule. If you realize that you and your former spouse are very far apart in agreeing on the time-sharing schedule, waiting to the last minute may make it impossible to get into court. Try your best to work it out yourselves. Negotiate and communicate with your former spouse. Try to keep reactivity to a minimum. Remember to put the children first.

9. Don't over indulge in alcohol or other drugs. Holiday time can sometimes be painful, but anesthetizing emotional pain with chemicals only creates more depression and leads to a greater sense of hopelessness and isolation.

10. Focus on the positive. Say hopeful and optimistic things to yourself and aloud. Remember that Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas are about being thankful and miracles. Fill yourself with thankfulness and appreciate the miracle that after so much pain that we can heal emotionally when given the opportunity. Move past anger, bitterness and resentfulness. If we focus on the positive and the best possibilities, these are usually what we get. If we focus on the negative and brace ourselves for the worst possible outcome, this is also what we usually get.

If you are thinking about divorce or facing a family law related matter, please see our website for more information on your legal options or call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

I have noticed in my Ocala family law practice that more and more Grandparents are raising their grandchildren, either by an informal agreement or by seeking a court order for Custody by Extended Family Member pursuant to Florida Statute 751. This was recently validated in a new study produced by the Pew Research Center, using U.S. Census Bureau data, shows that one in every ten children in the United States is living with a grandparent. The numbers have been rising sharply since 2008, the first year of the current recession.

This trend to any Florida attorney practicing family law has been inescapable. The study noted that 41% of the children who live with a grandparent are being raised primarily by that grandparent. While the numbers rose from 2000 to 2006, they definitely spiked ast the economy worsened in 2007 and 2008. An article from the Examiner stated that in Florida, the US Census Bureau indicate that 2% of all children under the age of 18 (64,500 kids) were living in skipped generation grandfamilies in Florida as of 2007."

The Pew Report found that Grandparent-parents are 62% female, and 38% male. Two-thirds of grandparent caregivers are married, while 34% are not. Most grandparents who care for their grandchildren have been doing so for quite a long time. More than half (54%) report that they have been the primary caregiver to at least one grandchild for three years or more, and 23% have been the primary caregiver to a grandchild for between one and two years.

All in all the grandparent caregivers tend to be relatively young -- most (67%) are younger than age 60, and 13% are younger than 45. This makes sense, since younger grandparents are more likely to be physically able to meet the needs of grandchildren on a daily basis. Sadly, Grandparent caregivers tend to have very limited financial resources. Nearly one in five (18%) is living below the poverty line.

If you are Grandparent seeking information on your legal options for custody of your grandchild, please call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We have helped many Grandparents successfully obtain custody their grandchildren under Florida Statute 751 (Custody by Extended Family Member). We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

The American Psychiatric Association has a hot potato on its hands as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle as the American Psychiatric Association updates its catalog of mental disorders -- whether to include parental alienation, a disputed term conveying how a child's relationship with one estranged parent can be poisoned by the other.

There's broad agreement that this sometimes occurs, usually triggered by a divorce and child-custody dispute. But there's bitter debate over whether the phenomenon should be formally classified as a mental health syndrome -- a question now before the psychiatric association as it prepares the first complete revision since 1994 of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

The psychiatric association first published its manual of diagnostic disorders, known as the DSM, in 1952. The last major revision was published in 1994 and updated in 2000, and the fifth edition -- DSM-5 -- is due for publication in May 2013.

Work groups in various fields have been reviewing numerous proposals for additions to the 283 disorders in the current edition. Parental alienation remains on a list of proposals that are subject to further review, though it did not pass muster with the work group dealing with childhood and adolescent disorders.

Dr. William Bernet, a psychiatry professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said it was "flatly ridiculous" for the APA to contend there is not enough information available to warrant including parental alienation in the DSM. He cited legal developments and new research in numerous foreign countries. His proposal defines parental alienation disorder as "a mental condition in which a child, usually one whose parents are engaged in a high conflict divorce, allies himself or herself strongly with one parent, and rejects a relationship with the other parent, without legitimate justification."

If you need assistance with your divorce or family law matter, please call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

There is no doubt that divorce can be emotionally challenging. But it can also be just as financially challenging in this difficult economy. A recent article from the Huffington Post provides some tips and pitfalls in divorce. Here are some things to consider:

-Get good advice. Do-it-yourself divorce kits are widely available, but even couples with few assets who part amicably still need capable representation. That may mean hiring an attorney who specializes in divorce to at least review your paperwork and make sure you haven't overlooked anything you might later regret.

-Protect your credit. To protect your credit status, close joint bank or credit card accounts and open new ones in your own name; otherwise, an economically struggling or vindictive ex-spouse could amass debt in your name and ruin your credit. Be sure all closed accounts are paid off, even if you must transfer balances to your new account and pay them off yourself. That's because late or unmade payments by either party on a joint account -- open or closed -- will damage both of your credit scores.

-Help your Attorney help you: To simplify your attorney's task (and thereby lower fees), gather copies of important financial paperwork including: tax returns; retirement account records; current pay stubs; employee benefit statements; life, health, homeowners and auto insurance policies; bank, brokerage, mortgage and credit card account statements; home deed or lease agreement; and wills, trusts and other legal documents.

Don't get caught up in the emotional turmoil of divorce and forget to protect your future financial interests.

If you need assistance with your divorce or family law matter, please call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

An overwhelming 73% of divorce attorneys cited an increase in prenuptial agreements during the past five years in a recent poll of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer (AAML) members. In addition, 52% have noted an increase in women initiating the requests, while 36% of those surveyed cited a rise in pensions and retirement benefits being included under prenuptial agreements.

"Prenuptial agreements are becoming more generally accepted as an effective way to protect assets. Interestingly, these requests are no longer just limited to a specific gender or age group," said Marlene Eskind Moses, president of the AAML. "In addition, as our society sees more people marry or remarry in their later years, there is an increasing emphasis on protecting pensions and retirement benefits if the marriage does not work out."

Overall, 73% of AAML members have cited an increase in number of prenuptial agreements during the past five years, while 27% stated no change. In addition, 52% of the respondents have noticed an increase in women requesting prenups during the past five years and 36% have seen pensions and retirement benefits being more frequently covered.

If you need assistance with your Family Law or Divorce matter, please call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

Ocala Divorce and Family Law Attorney Assists in Creating Parenting Plans

Warm, cooperative co-parenting between mothers and fathers may help protect children who are at risk for some types of behavior problems, a new study suggests. Researchers with the Department of Human Development and Family Science at Ohio State University. found that supportive co-parenting helped children who have difficulty regulating their behavior and attention levels - what researchers call "effortful control."

The study looked at changes in children's level of aggressive behavior and other forms of "acting out" as they went from 4 years old to 5 years old. Results showed that children who had low levels of effortful control generally showed increases in these negative behaviors over the course of the year - unless their parents had a supportive co-parenting relationship.

Divorce is an end to marriage -- but not an end to parenting for couples who have had kids together. If you need assistance with your family law matter or would like to discuss a Florida Parenting Plan, please call Ocala Divorce and Family Law attorney at the Law Office of Anne E. Raduns, PA to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.

No two families are alike. They come in different sizes, shapes, colors and genders. More and more people are accepting that families don't mean a "Father, Mother and 2.2 children" anymore. We as a culture have expanded our definition of what makes a "family." We see Grandparents raising their children's children. We see many one-parent families. And we are seeing a rise in same-sex couple families.

An article published in the NY Times references a survey conducted that shows that a majority of Americans now say their definition of family includes same-sex couples with children, as well as married gay and lesbian couples.

Prof. Stephanie Coontz of Evergreen State College in Washington, director of research and public education at the Council on Contemporary Families, a research and advocacy group, said that "Americans seem to be open to seeing same-sex couples with children as families, even while they hesitate to recognize their unions as marriage."

David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, a marriage research and advocacy group, said he was not surprised by the findings. "I like the standard definition of family: two or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption," Mr. Blankenhorn said. "Keeps it simple and coherent."

If you have a family law matter, regardless of how your family is made-up, we can help. We have handled many Grandparent rights/custody issues, Divorce issues, Father's rights issues, and GLBT issues. We can help if you are facing a family law issue.

Please call Ocala Divorce Lawyer to find out how we can help. We employ a client based approach, which means that we are selective in the cases we take so that we can be available to our clients. We spend time with you to thoroughly understand the facts of your case, so that we can provide you with a comprehensive and realistic legal evaluation. Our process begins with a half-hour low-cost consultation.