DIY Divorce in Florida

Florida Administrative Child Support Orders

Florida began issuing administrative child support orders several years ago. The paperwork from the Department of Revenue looks different from court paperwork so some people do not realize how important it is. If you receive any mail from the Department of Revenue, pay attention!

Read the paperwork carefully. Often it requires that you provide proof of your current income or take some other action. If you fail to act, an Administrative Order will be entered without your input. The Administrative Order is enforceable in court.

If you disagree with an Administrative Order, you must appeal it to the District Court of Appeal. The trial court cannot take action that affects an Administrative Order that has not been appealed.

So remember to pay careful attention to any paperwork from the Florida Department of Revenue because it affects your rights.

Online Safety for Kids - New Browser

Keeping kids safe online should be a priority for all parents, not just divorced parents. How to do it just became easier with KidZui, a special web browser that contains only kid-safe content. The basic version is free, and includes a core of features for both children and their justifiably worried parents.

When KidZui launched in March 2008, the list of approved content included around 500,000 sites. Eight months on, that's now expanded to more than a million pieces of content, with 50 editors still contracted to review new material and purge links that have changed or are dead. KidZui allows only the pre-approved content so your kids cannot go to any sites accidentally.

If you are concerned with online safety, check out KidZui.

Collaborative Divorce Television

Check out the new internet tv station. Click here.

Florida Divorce: No Bad Mouthing!

Divorce is emotional business. When you are annoyed with your spouse, it can be tempting to bad mouth them to others, especially if others are willing to goad you on.. Resist the urge. It can be difficult to do, but during your Florida divorce, it can have severe consequences. The video below discusses this issue and why you should avoid it.

Under the new (October 2008) best interest of the child factors in Florida law, bad mouthing the other parent can have legal consequences. One of the clear points of the new best interest of children factors is to get the children out of the middle. Bad mouthing the other parent can be used against you when deciding parental responsibility and timesharing schedules.

Child Relocation, Paternity & Experts

Relocating children during or after a Florida family law case is more complicated than ever. Since the 2006 law listing specific factors for relocation became effective, we get more questions on relocation than any other topic.

In a new case from the Second District Court of Appeal, the court found that the relocation factors apply even when the children were relocated before any custody order was signed. The appellate court said those relocation factors fall under the "any other factor" when considering the chidren's best interest.

The other part of the decision that should be of interest to you is that neither parent presented expert testimony. The decision notes

Neither parent offered any testimony from the children's relatives, teachers, or other knowledgeable persons concerning the impact of the relocation to the Seattle area on the children or on their relationship with the Father. Moreover, neither parent offered the testimony of a psychologist or other expert witness on these issues. No travel agent testified concerning the cost of air travel between Seattle and Sarasota or how that cost might be minimized. Similarly, no accountants or other financial experts testified concerning the ability of the parties to afford the travel expenses that would be necessary for the Father to see the children if they continued to reside in the Seattle area.

As we have said before, you need evidence to prove your case. If either of these parents had an expert on their team, the result could have been much different. Instead, they are on their way to another trial.

Do not count on getting a "mulligan" in your case. Learn how to do it right the first time with the DIY Divorce teleclasses.