Inequitable Distribution of Assets Resolved – Win at the Fourth District Court of Appeal:

Bell v. Bell This was a divorce case involving several issues regarding the parties’ marital and non-marital assets. Our client appealed and the opposing party cross appealed. Our client’s main issues were the trial court’s failure to (1) award her half of the husband’s accounts receivable from loans he made to his businesses; and (2)...

Available Income is the Proper Basis for an Alimony Award; A Marital Lifestyle That Exceeds the Parties’ Earnings is not a Proper Guide for Awarding Alimony

Cissel v. Cissel, 4D09-3029 & 4D10-1324 June 22, 2011 The Fourth District wrote to address an appeal of an alimony award and child support. The court below found the former husband, appellant, to have a gross monthly income of $18,109. The figure was based on his average earnings during the preceding fourteen months of trial. The...

Finding of Contempt for Failure to Pay Medical Expenses Improper Where Good Faith Dispute Existed as to Whether Procedure Was Reasonable and Necessary

Lustgarten v. Lustgarten, 4D09-4404 June 22, 2011 The parties entered into a settlement agreement that required the former husband, who is a physician, to pay former wife’s Medicare insurance premiums and medical expenses not covered by Medicare. Former wife later brought a motion for contempt, alleging that the former husband refused to pay for a medically...

A Parent’s Efforts to Assume Parental Duties While Incarcerated is Relevant and Admissible in a Proceeding for Termination of Parental Rights.

L.K. v. Department of Children and Families, 4D10 – 5124 June 15, 2011 The Fourth District Court of Appeal addressed a final order terminating L.K.’s parental rights as to her daughter, G.B. The Department initiated dependency proceedings regarding G.B and took her into the Department’s custody. Shortly thereafter, L.K. was incarcerated for narcotics. The evidence showed...

Extended Turkish Vacation: Fourth DCA Affirms Trial Court’s Exercise of “Home State” Jurisdiction to Make Custody Determination Despite Children’s Absence From Florida for Seven Months

Sarpel v. Eflanli, 4D09-4828 & 4D10-3146 June 1, 2011 The Fourth District recently addressed a trial court’s jurisdiction to make a custody ruling under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”). The father had Turkish and American citizenship, and the mother was a Turkish citizen. The family members were longtime residents of Florida. On...

Burden of Proof on the Party Asserting a Nonmarital Value to a Marital Residence

Konz v. Konz, 4D09-4454 June 1, 2011 The Fourth District addressed an issue of valuation regarding a marital residence during a dissolution of marriage proceeding. At the time of the marriage, appellant, husband owned a home that had a fair market value of $380,000 with a $25,000 mortgage. During the marriage, the home was demolished and...

Fourth DCA Reverses Order Draft by Former Wife Forcing Sale of Former Husband’s Residence to Satisfy Alimony Arrearages Where Former Husband Had No Opportunity to Object

Ross v. Ross, 4D11-107 The Fourth District recently wrote to address an appeal from an order that forced the sale of the Former Husband’s residence to satisfy his alimony arrearages. The Former Wife had drafted the ten-page order that the Court characterized as “very unfavorable” to the Former Husband, as it included findings that he...

Entitlement to Attorneys’ Fees Awarded Following Grant of Motion to Dismiss

Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.400(b) states: A motion for attorneys’ fees may be served not later than the time for service of the reply brief and shall state the grounds on which recovery is sought. The assessment of attorneys’ fees may be remanded to the lower tribunal. If attorney’s fees are assessed by the...

Appeal Dismissed in Favor of Client Where Unauthorized Under Appellate Rules

The issue was whether a trial court’s order denying exceptions to a general magistrate’s report and affirming the report, with several exceptions, was appealable as a final order or an appealable non-final order. We represented the Father of an infant child in a contentious custody dispute over timesharing and other issues. A general magistrate entered...

Is Expert Testimony Necessary for Attorney’s Fees Charging Lien?

The issue of whether the trial court erred in denying our client’s motion for attorney’s fees based on a charging lien merely because our client did not call an independent expert witness to testify concerning the reasonableness of the fees has been certified to the Florida Supreme Court. Our client, an attorney, represented the Former...