Recent Posts in Family Law Posted By Law Offices of Robert Stepniak 25-Nov-2019 The Benefits of Establishing Paternity in Florida When an unmarried mother gives birth, either parent must take several legal steps to establish paternity. Not only does this name a biological parent as the child’s legal father, but it also gives the father certain responsibilities and rights, ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Robert Stepniak 30-Aug-2019 What is Contempt of Court in Florida? Whether a judge awarded you alimony or ordered you to pay monthly child support, each party is obligated to follow the court orders associated with a divorce. Unfortunately, there are many cases where an ex-spouse refuses to honor a court order by ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 19-Jun-2019 Florida's Deadbeat Dad Law When a child support order is established by the court, the noncustodial parent is responsible for making monthly payments to the custodial parent to support your children. The majority of noncustodial parents are men. Florida Deadbeat Dads While ... Continue Reading Posted By Law Offices of Robert Stepniak 24-Apr-2019 When Does Child Support in Florida End? If you have been ordered to pay child support or anticipate doing so, you may be wondering when will the payments stop. In Florida, monthly child support payments stop once the child becomes 18 years of age and graduates from high school unless the ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 27-Mar-2019 Can I Legally Separate from My Spouse in Florida? There are there main ways to leave your spouse: divorce, legal separation, and annulment. Although most states recognize all three, there are others that don’t. There is no such thing as legal separation in Florida. This is unfortunate for who ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 23-Nov-2018 Should I Move Out of the Family Home During Divorce? Divorce can be an emotionally overwhelming process, which means sharing a house with your soon-to-be-ex-spouse can seem like a torturous undertaking. While Florida law allows either spouse to move out of the family home without being punished for ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 25-Jun-2018 What Happens When You Don't Pay Alimony If you are ordered by the court to make alimony payments, you may feel that owing payments is unjust. While you have an opportunity to appeal the decision or seek modification later on (due to a significant change in circumstances), intentionally ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 15-Jan-2018 Preparing for a Divorce Deposition If all other negotiations fail and your divorce appears to be headed for a litigated clash in court, there is a great possibility that you must face a deposition. A deposition is testimony given prior to trial, typically recorded in a transcript or ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 4-Dec-2017 Do Same-Sex Couples Face Any Unique Challenges in the Divorce Process? In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. This was a pivotal moment in civil rights for LGBT individuals, but it also paved the way for further legal complications. Almost half of all marriages end in divorce, and ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 6-Sep-2017 What to Do If Your Ex Isn't Paying Child Support When the noncustodial parent fails to pay child support, it can leave you having to provide for your child on your own. If this is the case, your bills will pile up and the money you’ve acquired from your job is spent on taking care of your ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 19-Jul-2017 Getting an Annulment in Florida Annulments are frequently misunderstood, due to the way they are represented commonly in media. When it comes to the difference between divorce and an annulment, there is a very clear one. A divorce is the dissolution of a valid, existing marriage. ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 4-Apr-2017 What Happens to Pets After Divorce? Pet lovers will be dismayed to learn their beloved furry friends are considered property in the eyes of the state of Florida. If you are currently in the midst of or approaching a divorce, you may be wondering what will happen to your pets following ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 18-May-2015 Mother Who Kidnapped Son to Prevent Circumcision Signs Consent Forms After a Week in Jail A mother fighting on behalf of her child will often go to extremes to protect what she believes is right for the child. In a case that just wrapped up in Delray Beach, a mother took the law into her own hands to try to prevent her son’s ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 4-May-2015 You've Been Served by Facebook Social media isn’t just a way to pass the time anymore; it has become so involved in most people’s daily lives that it is replacing face-to-face contact in many situations. A relatively new advancement in the social media world is the ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 6-Apr-2015 Florida Woman Against Circumcision Defies Court Order, Receives Warrant In one of the more unusual recent events, a warrant was issued this week for a Florida woman who has decided to take her son and get out of town rather than allow his circumcision. The 30-year-old Boynton Beach woman was issued a warrant from Circuit ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 17-Dec-2014 Why Don't More Men Receive Alimony? Why does it seem like so many men don’t receive alimony following a divorce? If you’ve ever pondered this yourself, the statistics actually support such preconceived notions. It may boggle your mind to know that of the 400,000 individuals ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 26-Oct-2014 Why Do Fathers Struggle for Custody? It’s hardly any surprise that a father would wish to have his rights properly represented in the circumstance of divorce. The reality of the situation is that these rights are not always respected without a legal battle. Why do so many capable ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 26-Aug-2014 Answering FAQs About Divorces in Florida Are you and your spouse heading for divorce? This difficult transition certainly arrives with its own share of questions – how long until it’s final, how much will the process cost, what are your visitation rights. We can help shed some ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 20-Apr-2014 Do-It-Yourself Divorce Kit: "I Got It On the Internet" A nice post from Las Vegas, on the pros and cons of googling up DIY divorce forms. How can that go wrong? (You don’t want to find out.) The post says that Google reports: 72 million searches for “do it yourself divorce” 20 million ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 26-Mar-2014 Mother Faces Child Abuse Charges for Hitting Brakes An action intended as a lesson for her children turned into child abuse charges, when a Florida woman “brake-checked” her children, causing one of them to hit her head on the windshield. According to the accused, her 2 children in the ... Continue Reading Posted By Stepniak & Park 3-May-2013 Father Kidnaps His Two Young Sons from Their Grandparents in South Florida TAMPA, Fla. – A sailboat is a new clue for authorities investigating the case of a suspected father who kidnapped his two sons, 4-year-old Cole Hakken and 2-year-old Chase Hakken from their grandparents’ home in Florida, after the ... Continue Reading