Fort Myers Divorce Law Blog

Nurturing relationships after escaping an abusive situation

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in domestic violence on Friday, April 20, 2018.

When people have been the victims of domestic violence in Florida, one of their greatest challenges is finding a way to escape their relationship and find a place that is safe. Often, this requires thorough planning and careful execution. The slightest misstep could create a major danger or reveal the plan to escape. Once safely away from their abuser, victims are often faced with the emotional trauma of their ordeal, and they have to find ways to overcome their fears to be able to live a successful life.

According to the Huffington Post, over 38,000,000 women experience some kind of abuse during their lifetime, and over 4,000,000 women in the United States are the victims of domestic violence every year. Most of these incidents are between intimate partners. In the United States, three women are killed every day at the hands of an abuser who is often a former male partner.

How easily can I relocate with my child after my divorce?

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in child custody on Friday, April 20, 2018.

At Fried and Fried PA in Florida, we know that when you have a child, particularly a young child, by your ex-spouse, the two of you may have continuing issues regarding him or her after your divorce. One such situation we see most often is when the custodial parent needs or wishes to relocate with the child.

If your job requires you to relocate, or if you need to do so to pursue your education, you cannot just leave. Under Section 61.13001 of the Florida Statutes, if your move will take you and your child more than 50 miles away from your current residence, you must obtain court permission to relocate.

Documentation you'll need for a high net worth divorce

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in blog on Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

The more money and assets you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse have acquired together, the more complicated your divorce is going to be. It's a simple fact of divorce that every family law attorney knows: Divorce proceedings are one of the times in life when people wish they were accountants -- because it can be a difficult process to sort through all their financial accounts and property valuations.

Fortunately, professionals are available to help you with your high asset divorce proceedings and these professionals can take the burden of your divorce off your shoulders. Still, you will need to gather a wide array of documentation from your personal records so these professionals -- who may include a lawyer, accountant, financial analyst and appraiser -- can do their jobs.

Preventing your divorce from taking your real estate

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in high asset divorce on Monday, April 9, 2018.

While your decision to divorce your spouse may provide some immediate relief from constant contention and marital conflict, it may also bring with it a whole new collection of problems. One in particular deals with your ability to maintain your share in the real estate you own with your spouse. At Fried and Fried, P.A., we are experienced in helping people in Florida to work their way through high asset divorce proceedings.

Often, you will be able to temporarily maintain residency in the home you share with your spouse if you are the custodial parent and require a place for your children to live. However, throughout divorce proceedings, it is likely that a decision will need to be made on who will ultimately own the property or if it will be sold entirely.

How can I protect my business from divorce?

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in prenuptial agreements on Friday, April 6, 2018.

If you own a business and are thinking about filing for divorce in Lee County, you might want to come up with a plan first. You might believe your personal life is not going to have an impact on your company. However, you do not want to leave your business vulnerable. Divorce involves the split of marital property. You might have started your company before you married your partner, but there are considerations that might make some or all your business assets marital property.

Your divorce could cost you your business if you are not careful. Take some time to consider the following tactics to protect your company from the fallout of divorce.

Man who killed ex-wife at work, previously accused of violence

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in domestic violence on Sunday, March 25, 2018.

For many victims of domestic violence, the thought of escaping their dangerous relationship is often complicated by several underlying factors. For many victims, concerns about their abuser finding out about their plans to escape, may prevent them from making changes sooner. Even when a victim is able to successfully remove him or herself from the toxic relationship, there are sometimes still risks that the abuser will continue to create a problem.

This is exactly what happened in a recent incident in California that left a woman dead after her ex-husband shot her following an apparent domestic dispute. While the woman and her ex-husband had been separated for over a year, he came to her workplace at The Oaks Mall in Thousand Oaks, California and confronted her. After what witnesses described as a verbal altercation, the man shot the woman, who eventually died. Authorities reported that the woman had previously called them in regards to domestic violence-related incidents while the pair were still married. An investigation into the murder is ongoing as authorities try to piece together the timeline of events. The woman leaves behind two young sons.

Can you escape an abusive relationship safely?

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in domestic violence on Tuesday, March 20, 2018.

When you discover that your relationship is abusive and you need to quickly get away, it can be difficult to identify where to begin in Florida. Moving too quickly or without a second thought to the evidence you leave behind could potentially worsen your situation and compromise your safety. Fortunately, there are proactive steps you can take to make preparations to leave without indicting yourself or creating more danger.

According to womenshealth.gov, developing a safety plan will help you to be better prepared to leave. Additionally, a well-thought out plan can help you keep things in perspective even under pressure. Here are some of the important things you should remember:

Have supplies ready: Should you end up needing to leave at a moment's notice, keep a hidden collection of things you would want to take.
Make doubles: Consider having another cellphone on hand and a different set of car keys so you can still escape even if your abuser has tried to prevent you from doing so.
Go undetected: If you are looking up information online or preparing different documents, consider using a public computer where you can download information without your abuser finding out.
Have a hideout: Identify people who you trust who would be willing to let you come and stay when you are able to escape.

Parenting provisions regarding travel

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in blog on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.

It's great to take a holiday with your child but if you're a single parent you may need to get special permission from the other parent to travel with him or her. Depending on how you set up your parenting plan and child custody agreement, traveling with your child can be easy or potentially difficult, so it's important to do it right.

The best way to address travel in your parenting plan is with the following parenting provisions. You may want to adjust these provisions and/or add some additional ones depending on your situation:

How children benefit from joint-custody arrangements

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in child custody on Tuesday, March 13, 2018.

If you live in Florida and are adjusting to a new joint-custody arrangement, you may be struggling with spending less time with your child than you typically do. You may, too, have questions about whether your child will struggle because of shuffling between your home and that of your ex. At Fried and Fried, P.A., we recognize that children whose parents share custody often benefit from such arrangements, and we have helped many clients navigate their way through custody and related family law matters.

According to Time, children who spend time living with both of their parents fare better in many areas than kids who live exclusively with one parent or the other. Research involving nearly 150,000 12 to 15-year-old students revealed that children who spent time living with both parents, as opposed to only one, were less likely to struggle with a broad range of psychosomatic health problems. For example, kids who lived with both parents were substantially less likely to report issues including stomachaches, concentration issues, sleeping troubles and feelings of sadness, among others.

Reducing the negative impact of divorce on children

On behalf of Fried and Fried, P.A. posted in high asset divorce on Friday, March 9, 2018.

Deciding to end a marriage in Lee County, especially when there are kids is never easy. You might not want to divide the family, but it might be the best solution. You do not want your kids living in a toxic environment with two parents who are at odds with each other. According to Psychology Today, unhealthy marriages are more toxic to children than divorce.

Divorce is a transition for the entire family. Adults are more equipped to navigate through the changes than children. Children who are exposed to the negative aspects of separation tend to have a harder time adjusting. They may act out, become withdrawn and develop emotional and behavioral problems. To make it easier for your kids to accept their parents are no longer together, consider the following information.