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...

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...

Trial Attorneys Take Note – 57.105 Motion Overturned and Express Malice for Defamation Expanded

The issue was whether the trial court abused its discretion in ordering our client and our client’s attorney to pay 57.105 attorney’s fees in a defamation action. Our client sued the opposing party for defamation after being forced out of business by the opposing party’s outrageous allegation that our client, a jeweler, replaced diamonds from...

Entitlement to Attorney’s Fees in Probate Matter Resolved

The issue was whether our client was entitled to an award of attorney’s fees, under the settlement agreement between the parties and as a prevailing party, after the opposing party failed to honor certain provisions in their settlement agreement. After years of litigating a probate matter, our client and the opposing party entered into a...

Resolved in Favor of the Innocent Co-insured

The issue as to whether or not an insurance company can deny coverage to an innocent co-insured based on the failure of a spouse to attend an examination under oath (EUO) was resolved in favor of our client, the innocent co-insured. Our client’s home was burglarized by an unknown assailant. The client preformed all conditions...

The Law of the Case Doctrine – Win at the Third DCA against Luxury Automotive Dealership

The law of the case doctrine states generally that questions of law that actually have been decided on appeal must govern the case in the same court and in the trial court through all subsequent states of the proceedings. State Dept. of Revenue v. Bridger, 935 So. 2d 536, 538 (Fla. 3d DCA 2006)....

Getting Through the Velvet Ropes of Florida’s Highest Court

While there are specific mandates under Florida law that require the Florida Supreme Court to grant review in certain instances, for most practitioners, getting your case heard by the Florida Supreme Court can seem as daunting as getting a front seat at the Kodak Theater during the Oscars. Alas, Robin I. Bresky and Diana...

Want a Second Opinion?

Many of us are taught at a young age to trust the men and women of the cloth; cloth in this case consisting of a white poly-cotton blend lab coat. In most cases, we trust our physicians with our lives and the lives of our loved ones. As patients, we listen and do as...

Taking the Pathway of Discretionary Review Toward Florida’s Highest Court

by Diana L. Martin and Robin I. Bresky Florida Bar Journal - Page 55 Your client is on the losing end of an opinion issued by one of Florida’s five district courts of appeal and wants to know whether there is hope of having that opinion overturned by the state’s highest court. Given that the Florida...

In These Economic Times…

The economic downturn the country has been experiencing has affected families, individuals and corporations alike. In Florida in particular, the insurance industry has been hard hit and eventually, the losses get passed down to the consumer. In most cases, consumers will obtain insurance from underwriters who have contractual relationships with the actual providers. The...