Practice Areas

Legal Practice Areas

FAMILY LAW
INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTATE ISSUES
ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE
GUARDIANSHIP

Family Law

A divorce is one of the most painful experiences in life. Its emotional and financial costs can be overwhelming, and the ordinary legal process can be confusing. Even the best of situations may solely offer partial solutions in terms of children, debts, and assets.

This is why when dealing with a family law matter it is important to have a lawyer who cares on your side. We are dedicated to helping you keep the costs of a divorce as low as possible. This means keeping the financial costs and the emotional costs as low as possible.

Informing our clients about their legal options and the cost of these options is a priority so our clients can maintain control over their litigation to the highest degree possible. We always remind our client that the less the parties spend on “fighting”, the less they will spend on attorney’s fees and the more money they will have to divide between themselves. We also never put a child in the middle of a dispute and always remind our client and even sometime, the opposite side about the impact of a separation on the children.

Because of this philosophy, we like to think that we are part of the solution to family law issues and distinguish ourselves through caring, efficient, and effective legal representation.

However, if we have to we will fight for you zealously and efficiently. Indeed, we recognize that sometimes litigating is the only viable alternative. As a result, the advices we provide are based on a rational assessment of your risks and benefits. We will therefore work with you to develop the best legal strategy.

Our principal objective is to achieve the highest level of service for every client. Our clients appreciate the caring, professional, and compassionate assistance that we provide. Our services go beyond a cookie-cutter approach into a client centered service in which we create solutions to meet the individual needs of our clients and their families. We know our clients by name and personally manage every aspect of their case, providing exceptional legal services at competitive rates. We always strive to handle your case in the most personal, professional, and timely manner possible.

In uncontested divorce, we can help you imagine and create your own solutions that meet your interests and especially the best interests of your children. We will assist you to move efficiently through the maze of Florida divorce laws as well.

We represent clients in the following areas of family law:

  • Divorce (contested and uncontested)
  • Parenting Plan and Time-Sharing with children (formerly called custody)
  • Child Support & Spousal Support
  • Paternity action
  • International divorce
  • International custody issues
  • Enforcement and modification of foreign orders
  • Prenuptial and postnuptial agreement
  • International and interstate relocation
  • Adoption
  • Interstate and International Child Abduction
  • Enforcement and Modification of final judgment

INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTATE ISSUES:

Family law has traditionally been an area of private law governed by rules local to a given state.  However, the world is becoming a smaller place and our clients come from, move, and live all over the world. They often marry a foreign national in one country, parent children in another, and own a business in a third country. This creates great concerns about the residency, custody and well-being of their children. Our expertise permits to help such clients by assisting them in dealing with such issues.

In international family law many issues have to be taken in consideration such as which courts and states have jurisdiction over which issues (indeed, in certain case a state may have jurisdiction over the dissolution but not over the custody issue, it may also happen that two states have jurisdiction over the same issues). Our extensive experience in the area of International laws, allows us to assist our clients in resolving their legal problems. )

INTERNATIONAL AND INTERSTATE RELOCATION

Any international relocation of one parent alone with the children must be carefully planned. Indeed, unilateral relocation raises serious issues of kidnapping and may lead to criminal sanctions as well as losing custody of the children for the parent who has relocated without the consent of the other parent. It is therefore imperative to consult with an attorney familiar with international issues before moving to another country.

In addition, any domestic/interstate relocation of one parent alone with the children must also be carefully planned. Indeed, since October 2006, under Florida law, a parent cannot relocate with a minor child to another principal residence more than 50 miles away from his or her principal place of residence without the consent of the other parent and particular formalities must be followed. Section 61.13001of the Florida Statutes. It would be extremely detrimental to not comply with this law as it may lead to losing custody of the children.

 

ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE

The process of estate administration may appear overwhelming especially when added to the emotional turmoil of losing a loved one. We can guide and assist you through the probate process from start to finish. 

However, to avoid the difficulties that frequently arise during the probate process, we recommend creating an estate plan that adequately addresses how you want your assets to be distributed. We can assist you with estate planning in preparing the documents necessary to protect your family and your wishes.  

We can also assist you with the following matters:

  • Florida probate including ancillary probate
  • Assistance with French probate process
 

GUARDIANSHIP

Adult guardianship is the process by which the court finds an individual’s ability to make decisions so impaired that the court gives the right to make decisions to another person. 

Some guardianships are known as guardianships of the person, which involve making decisions about medical and personal care. Other guardianships are guardianships of property, which are limited to handling property, investments, and other financial matters. 

Our firm can assist your family to navigate the complex legal issues surrounding the guardianship process and we can also assist you with alternatives to a guardianship, such as a durable power of attorney that designates an individual to handle your affairs if you become incapacitated.