People are often especially troubled by legal concerns involving family law. Here is how consulting and hiring a Port St. Lucie family law lawyer can help you.
Residents of Port St. Lucie and the surrounding areas of the Treasure Coast have a variety of legal concerns, including matter in family law, such as child timesharing, spousal or child support, establishment or disestablishment of paternity, and prenuptial or post-nuptial agreements.
Child timesharing cases can be painful for individuals already going through the difficulty of a divorce. Judges always try to make decisions in the best interest of the child and it is helpful if both parents can do so as well. Often couples are able to work out an equitable way to divide time with their child or children on their own.
How a Port St. Lucie Family Law Lawyer Can Help You
A Port St. Lucie family law lawyer can help you figure out your goals, such as seeing your child regularly, attending all of her sporting events, or having him for certain holidays. He or she can also help you stay on track during meetings with your child’s other parent and their attorney. If a couple cannot work out a timesharing arrangement on their own, a family court judge will consider a wide range of factors including each spouse’s parenting skills and ability to care for the child, where everyone is currently living, whether a potential move would be difficult for the child, and many others.
Our Port St. Lucie family lawyers also help individuals seeking to enforce or modify a child support or alimony ruling. People are often frustrated when they don’t receive the payments set forth in the divorce agreement for alimony or child support. A Florida family law attorney can help you take the right steps to have the order enforced.
In other situations, one party may want to have the ruling modified due to a change of circumstance. There are several situations in which this may occur. Commonly, people seek a modification due to a change in income—either the payer’s income has increased or decreased significantly, or the payee’s income has. If you have noticed your former spouse has had an appreciable bump in income, you may believe that he or she should increase your spousal support payment. On the other hand, if you just lost your job, you might want the monthly payment to your former spouse to decrease. In these cases, proof of income will be needed.
Custody & Support Modifications
A modification may also be sought if there is a change in the amount of time a couple’s child or children spend with each parent. For example, suppose Leslie and Todd’s daughter Jane has been living with Leslie and visiting Todd on the weekends. After some discussion, the family decides Jane should move in with her father so she can attend a different school and be closer to some of her friends. Todd might ask for a modification to the child support agreement, as Jane will be spending more time with him now.
You might also ask for a modification if there has been a large change in expenses for one or more of your children. Frequently these cases involve sudden medical bills, or the need for special tutoring to help with learning difficulties at school. On the other hand, if your child’s condition has improved, or he no longer needs a tutor, you may want to reduce your support payment. Your Florida family law attorney can advise you on what paperwork you will need to present the judge.
If you have questions or concerns about divorce, family law, or other Florida legal services, please contact Apfelbaum Law for a consultation. We can be reached at 772-236-4009, or contactus@alawfl.com.
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