Assisting Families With Personal Legal Matters Since 2001
At Carol Joyce Solomon, P.A. Attorney at Law, our firm provides a variety of services to Broward County and Palm Beach County residents. Our firm addresses various family law issues, including:
From uncontested divorces to complex dissolution of marriage cases, family law attorney Carol Joyce Solomon provides personalized and informed representation. Ms. Solomon offers thorough initial consultations, explaining often confusing legal statutes and concepts to her clients. She provides her clients with the facts and educates them on what to expect, while other divorce attorneys often offer only abbreviated consultations that leave clients confused and vulnerable. Ms. Solomon counsels clients on such instrumental family issues as:
- Real property division / distribution
- Distribution of intangible property such as pensions, IRAs and 401(k)s
- Debt distribution
- Child support agreements
- Parenting time and custody agreements
- Spousal support terms, also known as “alimony”
- Marital settlement agreements
- Pre- and postnuptial agreements
Child support concerns
Attorney Solomon will explain how child support is calculated and how the amount of support varies in accordance with the type and amount of timesharing each parent engages in. While there are set formulas and guidelines determined by the state, these guidelines may be deviated from in certain circumstances, such as when there are special needs children. There are also various ways to assess the amount of support, including a “gross-up” calculation when each parent engages in substantial timesharing.
Our firm attends to every detail to ensure clients are paying or receiving what they are entitled to by law. Income, special needs, timesharing, child care, health insurance, taxes, the number of children and various other factors are utilized to calculate the amount paid or owed, making it imperative to select an attorney who understands the appropriate way to calculate income and who knows how to apply the unique facts of your case to the law.
Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements
For clients with significant assets, income or future inheritances, a prenuptial agreement can help protect assets and income should a marriage end in divorce. A subsequent marriage may necessitate a prenuptial agreement to secure money and/or property for children of first marriages. While focused on the current events of a wedding, our firm asks our clients to look to the future. While couples on the brink of marriage would rather not consider divorce as a possible outcome, legal steps should be taken to protect their assets and income.
Unmarried fathers need proof of paternity through an adjudication by the court to assert their visitation rights. Unwed mothers need DNA tests and/or an adjudication by the court of the paternity of the biological father in order to secure child support. Signing a birth certificate is simply not enough. Paternity matters combine complex legal issues with science.
Once paternity is established, the best interests of the children take precedent with the courts. In Florida, the Department of Revenue (DOR) can establish paternity through the court; however, the DOR does not have the jurisdiction to establish timesharing/custody. Hence, biological fathers are often ordered to pay child support with no rights of visitation. To acquire those rights requires adjudication by the court in a separate action for timesharing and/or paternity if paternity has not yet been established by the court.
Contact A Knowledgeable Lawyer Today
Concerned about your family law matter? Get honest and direct advice when you meet Ms. Solomon at our Coral Springs office. You can easily schedule your free consultation over the phone at 954-255-5333. You may also contact Ms. Solomon via email.