A stepparent adoption allows someone who already has a positive relationship with a minor child to become a legal parent to that child, with all the rights and responsibilities that commitment entails. Under Florida law, stepparents do have the right to adopt their...
family law
Why is it so important to create a detailed parenting plan?
Most divorced parents in Florida feel a great deal of concern over the well-being of their kids. Whether you're creating a parenting plan for the first time or modifying an existing one, a detailed plan can make a tremendous difference in how well your kids adapt....
The benefits of kinship adoption
Removing a child from their home in Florida is never easy, but it might be the only option for their health and safety. Once the child has been taken from their parents, the court has to figure out where they will stay. Sometimes, the child ends up in the foster care...
Paying for a child’s education after a divorce
A divorce may allow you to end a relationship with your spouse. However, it doesn't absolve you from paying for a portion of your child's educational expenses. For instance, you may be required to cover the cost of private high school tuition or the cost of attending...
How to resolve conflicts with your child’s other parent
If you have children with your former spouse, you will need to work with that person to raise them. However, there is a chance that your child's other parent will take actions that seek to rattle you or openly defy the child custody or visitation order handed down by...
Why would you modify your custody order?
The court carefully considers your situation when issuing a custody order, and they try to make a decision that puts the children first and also adheres to the rights of the parents. With all of this consideration up front, why would someone ever want to modify the...
Nontraditional families created through adoption
The world of nontraditional families can get very complex quickly. It is important for all involved to know exactly what options they have. For instance, in many recent cases, grandparents seek to adopt their grandchildren. They do this because they love them and they...
Cohabitation often happens gradually
When people get married and begin living together, they make a conscious decision. There is a defined day when one partner moves in or when they both move into a new house together. Cohabitation, the process by which people live together without getting married, is...
With adoption, carefully consider exactly what you want
If you're thinking about adoption, take the time to slow the process down and really consider what you want, why you want it and what you expect out of the process. For instance, maybe you struggle with fertility and you really want to be a parent. You see adoption as...
1 out of 3 kids lives with an unmarried parent
If you are not an unmarried parent yourself, odds are very good that you know someone who is. A lot of children live with one or more unmarried parents. In some cases, this is because the children were born outside of a serious relationship; in others, it just means...