Sawicki Law Blog

What happens when someone lies on a marriage license in the state of Florida? My soon-to-be ex lied about never being previously married on our marriage application. However, during discovery and depositions, I found out that I am the second wife rather than the first wife! He also lied on loans and mortgage documents and lied to me about fathering a child. What can be done?   Lying on a...

I have a custody order in Florida and the father moved to Arizona. My kids and I live in California with permission form the Florida court. Can I move the order to California? The father has been absent for a year but threatened to go after me for not allowing him to see the kids due to COVID-19. Can he request to transfer the case to Arizona because he lives there, even though the kids do...

What happens if my soon-to-be ex-husband did not attend mediation yesterday? He says he forgot; however, he has a medical condition. He says he will blame it on his seizures although he blatantly told me he did not have a seizure yesterday. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.   A large percent of Florida family law cases settle in mediation. We suggest you attend mediation as it is a...

Can I use my anglicized name on legal documents such as insurance, investments, and bank accounts? I use my anglicized name for business to help people pronounce my name correctly, and I have an affidavit telling people that I use my anglicized name. What should I do?    You should go by the name you generally use. If you are interested in legally changing your name, we can help! The law...

How are courts handling custody and timesharing during the pandemic? What if one parent doesn’t believe that we are in a pandemic, but the child is high risk and the parent’s lifestyle is risky (including interstate traveling, not wearing a mask, attending parties, etc.)?   Courts are addressing issues relating to the Covid-19 pandemic in a myriad of ways. Courts follow all CDC...

The City of Fort Lauderdale is a diverse area home to one of the highest concentrations of same-sex households and LGBTQ-owned businesses. The City of Wilton Manors (also in Broward county, directly adjacent to Fort Lauderdale) is known as “South Florida’s most famous ‘Gayborhood’” and a place in which “gay history is made.” Given this fact, Fort Lauderdale is also filled with resources to...

Can I legally get my spouse off the deed to my house if I was the sole purchaser? My husband and I got married four years ago. Two years ago, we moved to Florida and bought a house with cash. The title company suggested we both sign the title deed. However, we bought it with my money! God forbid there is a divorce. If there was, he would probably receive over $200,000.00, as we would split the...

I want to increase my alimony. My husband is now making more money. I was married for twenty-five years. What do I need to do?  Alimony is based on a party’s need and the other party’s ability to pay. A modification of permanent alimony may be warranted when one party has an increased need and the other has an increased ability to pay. An increase in ability to pay alone may not be enough to...

My child’s father is using and selling drugs. We do not have any custody agreement. I moved out, but he is still using drugs behind my back. I want to get full custody with supervised visits, if anything. What should I do?   This sounds like a Florida Statute §742 paternity issue. First contact an experienced family law attorney like Mark E. Sawicki, P.A. today for a free consultation to...

What can I do if my parenting plan says I am entitled to one phone call a day and her father refuses to let me speak to her? My parenting plan says each parent is allowed one call each day to out four-year-old daughter before 7:00 pm (her bedtime). My daughter’s father refuses to let me speak to her. I do not harass him. I simply text him “when can I talk to her?” and he replies, “at my...