Sawicki Law Blog

My dad quit deed claimed a small condo to me in Florida. Can my wife get half of that condo if we divorce? I didn’t pay for it. You should speak to an experienced Florida attorney. Generally, that could be considered a non-interspousal gift from the father, which would be listed as nonmarital property. If it is nonmarital property, her ability to get the condo in the event of a divorce would...

I got divorced in Florida earlier this year and we agreed to split custody of our dogs. Do I still have to abide by that now? We agreed to share the dogs for 6 months on and 6 months off. Now I don’t want the dogs because It’s far too stressful to maintain contact with my ex-husband. Am I legally obligated to pick up the dogs on the date we had agreed upon?   If you and your ex have an...

Will I have to travel to my ex’s county if she doesn’t have transportation to the custody battle? I am filing for divorce with my kids in my county, but because my ex does not have a vehicle, she said that I would have to go to her county to go through the custody battle. I am wondering if the limited transportation could force a change in location during the custody battle. The Uniform Child...

Can certified mail sent by a spouse, not the court, be used to get a divorce in Florida? The papers were sent by her lawyer. She wants me to sign and give up my right to a hearing before a judge. The papers are blank, and she didn’t include the debts. Then she told me she could get a divorce without signing the papers! I want a divorce but I’m not willing to sign the blank papers, waive my...

What happens if the judge orders a temporary timeshare relief and the mother doesn’t obey and is nowhere to be found? I am the father and I got temporary timesharing granted. The mother is not living at her address anymore and is being increasingly difficult. What can happen to her and the child?  You may consider filing a petition for a court to grant various remedies. One such remedy would...

Can my ex leave the country with my daughter if he has my passports and wallet? We have a two-year-old daughter together but no custody or child support arrangements. He took the diaper bag with our passports and wallet in it and is now threatening to leave the U.S. with our child. What can I do? Sounds like a paternity issue under Florida Statute §742. Until legal paternity is established,...

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...