Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Can My Spouse Take Half My Business in a Florida Divorce?
For a business owner, the possibility of divorce can bring a particularly unsettling question: could a spouse end up owning half of the company? A business may represent years of long hours, personal risk, relationships with employees and customers, and much of the family’s financial security. The thought of losing control over something built… Read More »
Understanding Alimony in Florida: What You Need to Know Before Your Divorce
Money can become one of the most frightening parts of deciding whether to end a marriage. A spouse who has relied on the other person’s income may wonder how the mortgage, insurance, groceries, and everyday expenses will be paid after separation. The higher-earning spouse may be equally worried about supporting two households while also… Read More »
Alimony and Support Considerations for Retirees in Florida Gray Divorces
Divorce close to or during retirement can unsettle financial plans that took decades to build. A household that once relied on salaries, retirement contributions, and shared expenses may suddenly need to support two separate homes from Social Security, pensions, investment income, and retirement savings. Florida courts deciding alimony in a gray divorce consider both… Read More »
What Happens After a Divorce Trial in Florida? Understanding Final Judgments and Appeals
A Florida divorce trial may end the courtroom dispute, but the judge’s decision still has to be put into practice. Once the final judgment is entered, its terms govern property division, financial obligations, parenting arrangements, child support, alimony, and the other issues decided at trial. Some provisions require action within days or weeks, while… Read More »
Simplified Divorce and Shared Debt: What Couples Often Overlook
A simplified divorce can feel like the cleanest way to end a marriage when both spouses agree it is time to move forward. The paperwork is shorter, the process is more streamlined, and the tone often feels less adversarial than a traditional divorce. That cooperation can be a relief when both people want to… Read More »
Modifying Timesharing and Parenting Plans in Florida: What the Court Needs to See
A parenting plan that worked when a child was five may not work the same way when the child is twelve. School demands change. Work schedules shift. Children develop new routines, new needs, and sometimes new worries. Parents may move, remarry, change jobs, or discover that the schedule everyone once agreed to no longer… Read More »
Property Division in Long-Term Same-Sex Relationships That Predated Legal Marriage Recognition
For some same-sex spouses, the date on the marriage certificate came years after the life together had already begun. The home was already shared. Bills were already paid together. Careers, children, savings, businesses, and family routines may have been built around a commitment that felt like marriage long before Florida law treated it that… Read More »
When Trust Is Broken: Using a Postnup After Financial or Emotional Betrayal
Trust can break in more than one way during a marriage. Sometimes the damage comes from an affair. Sometimes it comes from hidden credit cards, secret loans, gambling losses, undisclosed business debt, or money moved without the other spouse’s knowledge. Discovery of the betrayal can leave everything feeling unstable, including the household’s finances, the… Read More »
Protecting Children from Domestic Violence in Florida Family Law Cases
Domestic violence can change the way every parenting decision feels. A child does not have to be physically struck to be harmed by violence in the home. Fear, shouting, threats, police visits, intimidation, and the constant need to watch a parent’s mood can affect a child’s sense of safety long after the immediate danger… Read More »
Do Florida Divorce Court Orders Ever Expire? What to Know About Enforceability Over Time
Divorce orders are meant to bring structure to a difficult transition. They divide property, set support obligations, approve parenting plans, and turn settlement promises into court orders. A final judgment can feel like a closing chapter until a payment stops, a deed remains unsigned, a retirement account is never divided, or a parenting schedule… Read More »