Author Archives: Jay Butchko

When Can A Co-Parent See Your Child’s Medical Records?
Under Florida law, both of a child’s parents have the legal right to access information and records related to that child. This includes the right to look at medical and school records and to speak with a child’s doctor or teacher about the child’s well-being or development. The only way to keep another parent… Read More »

Could A Change In My Schedule Justify A Parenting Plan Modification?
It’s not uncommon for parents to experience a change in their work or personal schedules that necessitates a modification in their custody arrangements. In fact, this happens all the time, especially as children grow and their own needs change. At the end of the day, whether a judge will permit a family to make… Read More »

Tips For Developing A Parenting Plan For A Toddler
Co-parenting a toddler after divorce comes with its own set of specific challenges, but it is worth it for parents to contend with these challenges so that they can be fully involved with raising their child. This is especially important when a child is in his or her toddler years, as children undergo rapid… Read More »

Preparing For Mediation
In Florida, family law courts strongly encourage families to come up with their own divorce settlements in an out-of-court setting. Unfortunately, couples often are unable to do so on their own, in which case, the court may order mediation. Mediation is a flexible type of dispute resolution process, where an impartial third party facilitates… Read More »

Do I Qualify For Permanent Alimony?
During divorce, courts can order one spouse to give financial support to the other in the form of monthly alimony payments once the marriage has legally ended. This form of court-ordered financial support is generally referred to as alimony, of which there are five types in Florida. These include bridge-the-gap, durational, rehabilitative, temporary, and… Read More »

The Five Ways To Establish Paternity In Florida
The laws for establishing paternity differ from state to state, so it’s important for parents who live in Florida to have a firm grasp of state law regarding the ways they can go about establishing, refuting, and terminating paternity. Establishing paternity can have a major impact on all the parties involved in the process,… Read More »

Prenuptial Agreements Can Help Protect Your Assets
More and more people are entering into prenuptial agreements before they get married, a trend that has largely been attributed to the increasing age at which people have started getting married in recent decades. As a result, it has become increasingly common for couples who are entering into a marriage to have significant assets… Read More »

Three New Year’s Resolutions For Divorcing Couples
The New Year’s holiday is a good time for reflection not only on the things that took place during the previous year, but on what a person hopes to accomplish in the next one. It can, unfortunately, be hard to see things that way when going through a divorce. Just because you are still… Read More »

Could I Lose My Family Heirlooms In Divorce?
Dividing marital assets often proves to be one of the most difficult aspects of divorce, with many couples wary of losing their personal assets or valuable family heirlooms. Fortunately, there are strict rules in place that can help divorcing couples protect their personal property in the event of divorce. Separate Property is Protected One… Read More »

Rehabilitative Alimony In Florida
Alimony is a type of financial support that is paid by one former spouse to another to help the latter maintain the standard of living that was established during the marriage. There are actually a few different types of alimony in Florida, all of which vary in amount, form, and duration. Two types that… Read More »