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I am my daughter's biological mother, and her stepdad had temporary custody. Recently, her biological father, who has been absent for the past 5 years, obtained a court order and took her from her stepdad's home unexpectedly. There is no existing court order involving custody between her... View More 
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answered on May 19, 2025
Good day,
Your rights to get back your daughter depends upon the type of court that gave an order to the stepfather and the type of court that the gave an order to the biological father. For instance, if DCF is involved or if it is family court. You may need to join the cases so that there... View More
I am considering applying for sole custody of my 9-year-old child. There are currently no existing custody or visitation court orders in place. My child's father has been absent for most of her life, having met her only twice and not initiating contact or visits. He pays child support through... View More
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answered on Apr 28, 2025
Thank you for your question. Based on what you described, you may have strong grounds to seek sole parental responsibility (what Florida calls "custody") because of the father's long absence. However, because there is an existing New York child support order, it’s important to... View More
Do Florida Courts still have jurisdiction to modify Parenting Plan if the mother moved to another state for more than 3 years
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answered on Nov 15, 2024
Again, the short answer is yes, if there have not been any other court orders in another state. The heart of this issue isn’t just about legal jurisdiction; it’s about power, control, and fairness in parenting. When one parent moves out of state for years without addressing the existing court... View More
I live in an abusive home. I moved in with my grandparents in 2018 at the push of my grandmother. My grandmother adopted my sister for the money she gets, she tells she is going to leave her with me because she didn't sign up for the responsibility only the money. She calls her names, is... View More
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answered on May 16, 2024
It is unlikely that your children will be taken away from you simply because you have a condition which requires you to take medication. Many people in society have bouts of anxiety and depression and society, including family court, understands and does not condemn people who are going through... View More
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answered on Apr 19, 2024
It may be illegal to share an Alabama custody order in a Florida case where the clients are different if the Alabama custody order is considered confidential by law and a motion that will allow it to be presented as evidence before the Court has not been granted. However, if the foundation has... View More
I don’t believe she has restrictions in cohabitation and there is no financial benefit or support other than saving time logistically from driving back and forth to her house. She has not spoken to attorneys about this yet.
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answered on May 12, 2025
Yes, it is possible that your girlfriend's spousal support (alimony) could be affected if the two of you cohabitate. Generally, this is known as a supportive relationship which could trigger the termination of her alimony because it reduces the need for alimony if living expenses are reduced.... View More
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answered on Nov 15, 2024
I would need to see the Final Judgment/Parenting Plan but it is likely that if regular visits are supervised, then Holiday visits are supervised as well. It sounds like it may be time to review that finding of supervised visits and petition the Court for a change. Give us a call at 954-840-5301.... View More
If a non custodial parent moved to another state before a Dissolution of Marriage was done in Florida, did she/he need to file a Petition for Relocation? When is considered she/he moved, when done physically or legally change address?
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answered on Nov 15, 2024
The short answer is that typically, only the parent who plans to move needs to file the petition before the move, but relocation is rarely just about legal paperwork. What you’re probably worried about is how this move could affect your relationship with your child or your ability to maintain... View More
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answered on Feb 24, 2019
Yes, an unmarried biological mother has all the rights to a child born out of wedlock. However, the father may petition the court to prevent the relocation by filing a paternity/timesharing case.
DCF have taking picture of my kids and my baby mom the DCF lady said that he is not allow around the kids she sent him to jail and then bail him out I need help what can I do
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answered on Feb 24, 2019
You could file a Petition to Establish Paternity, Timesharing, and Child Support in family court so that you can obtain time and rights to your child if there is no legal DCF case. If there is a legal DCF case, then you can ask for custody in the DCF court.
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answered on Feb 24, 2019
The mother of the child, no matter the mother's age, is automatically deemed as the legal guardian of the child unless there is a dependency case filed by the Department of Children and Families.
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