Tipsy Coachman, Anticipatory Repudiation, and Adhering to Your Own Contractual Remedies: Fourth DCA Affirms Judgment for Prospective Home Buyers Despite Seller’s Assertion of Anticipatory Repudiation Defense

Shelby Homes at Millstone, Inc. v. Cullinane, 4D10-289 May 18, 2011 Four months prior to expiration of the contractual time period for completion of a home, the buyers’ counsel sent a letter to the seller’s counsel stating that the home buyers “may not be able to obtain financing under the same terms and conditions as originally...

Entitlement to Attorney’s Fees in Probate Matter Resolved – Win at the Supreme Court:

Carlin v. Javorek The issue was whether the Supreme Court should exercise its discretionary jurisdiction to review of the Fourth District Court of Appeal’s reversal of a trial court’s order denying an award of attorney’s fees to our client. The Fourth District Court of Appeal recently reversed a trial court decision holding that our client was...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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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...