Understand Family Law. Explore options in divorce, child support, custody agreements. Find a qualified family lawyer to guide you through the process.
As of January 1, 2026, major child support changes take effect in Washington, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and California. Washington raises its income table cap from $12,000 to $50,000 monthly and increases the self-support reserve to 180% of federal poverty level. Georgia implements mandatory low-income adjustments. Pennsylvania updates its guidelines. The federal Unborn Child Support Act remains…
Contested divorces in Florida average 12-18 months from filing to final decree. High-conflict cases with complex assets or custody battles stretch to 2+ years. The difference between a 12-month case and a 24-month nightmare comes down to how fast you complete discovery, whether you mediate in good faith, and if your county’s courts are backlogged….
Most Florida judges sign divorce decrees within 7-14 days after the final hearing. But here’s the catch: you won’t see it immediately. Between the judge’s signature, clerk processing, and mailing, add another 5-10 days before the signed decree lands in your hands or attorney’s office. So when your attorney says “the judge should sign soon,”…
Most uncontested Florida divorces finalize in 4-6 weeks. Contested ones? Plan on 12-18 months, sometimes longer. The difference comes down to five factors: whether you agree on everything, how complex your assets are, if kids are involved, court backlog, and whether you’re willing to mediate. Florida law requires a minimum 20-day waiting period from the…
Florida divorces with children take 4-6 months minimum for uncontested cases and 9-18 months for contested custody disputes. Florida Statute § 61.19 mandates a 20-day waiting period after filing, but parenting plan creation, mandatory 4-hour Parent Education classes, child custody mediation requirements, financial disclosure deadlines (45 days), and timesharing negotiations significantly extend timelines—with high-conflict custody…
You need a forensic accountant in divorce when your spouse controls the finances, owns a business, shows lifestyle-income discrepancies, or you suspect hidden assets. Courts require forensic accountants to uncover concealed income, trace dissipated funds, value complex holdings, and reconstruct financial records in divorces involving self-employment, cryptocurrency, offshore accounts, or sudden pre-filing income drops—with penalties…
In most US divorces, the party who hires the forensic accountant pays their fees initially, but courts frequently order cost-sharing or shift 100% of expenses to the opposing spouse based on income disparity, financial misconduct, or case outcome. Courts across all 50 states possess statutory authority under family law codes to allocate expert costs as…
You can technically sell your business before filing for divorce, but the proceeds remain marital property subject to division, and selling to avoid property division constitutes fraudulent transfer. Once divorce proceedings begin, automatic temporary restraining orders (ATROs) prohibit selling without court approval or spouse consent. Courts scrutinize pre-divorce sales timing and can reverse transactions, impose…
No, you don’t automatically own your spouse’s business simply because you’re married. Legal ownership belongs to the person whose name is on the business documents. However, you may have a claim to the business’s value during divorce if it’s classified as marital property—which depends on when it was created, whether marital funds were invested, and…