The holiday season often brings a whirlwind of expenses, from seasonal gifts to travel costs to see loved ones. And for separated or divorced parents in Florida, this can create confusion. Who pays for what? What is included in child support, and what isn’t? If you are co-parenting in Florida, understanding Florida’s child support laws …
Facing the possibility of a divorce is never easy, especially as the year comes to a close. Divorce isn’t just a legal process. It’s a financial and emotional turning point. Before December 31 rolls around, you should consider some practical steps to help protect your interests, position yourself for a smoother process, and begin the …
For many people going through divorce, the holidays are some of the loneliest times of the year. Despite glowing storefronts, office parties, and social media posts full of smiling families, you’re confronted with a steady reminder of the life you once had. The traditions that used to be comforting only further highlight what’s missing. Even …
Divorce can be an emotional and logistical challenge for any family, but for those who serve in the armed forces, or are married to someone who does, housing concerns often add another layer of legal complications. In the Tampa area, where military installations like MacDill Air Force Base play a major role in our community, …
Divorce is never easy, but for military families, it can present unique challenges that civilian divorces don’t involve. Active-duty service members face deployments, frequent relocations, and unpredictable schedules that can make it difficult to respond to legal filings or manage court deadlines in divorce or custody cases. To protect the men and women who serve, …
Military families live a life of service and sacrifice that often goes quietly unnoticed. Day after day, they shoulder the weight of long separations, unpredictable schedules, and the constant demands of military duty. Spouses keep households running and provide stability for their children while service members fulfill their missions. This resilience is the backbone of …
For many families, love goes beyond the traditional boundaries of parent and child. Sometimes, when biological parents are unable to provide care, relatives step forward to ensure that children are not left without a stable, loving home. In Florida, this is known as kinship adoption, a legal process that allows grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, or …
Adoption and Termination of Parental Rights: How the Court Decides Adoption is one of the most rewarding areas of family law because it gives children the chance of a safe, stable, and permanent home. For adoptive parents, it can represent the fulfillment of a dream. For children, it provides security and a sense of loving permanence within a family. However, adoption also involves legalities that must first be addressed. For an adoption to move forward, …
Growing Families Through Adoption: What You Need to Know About the Legal Process By: K. Sloan Lambert, Esq. Adoption is one of the most meaningful ways to build a family. Each November, during National Adoption Month, our family law attorneys at Melone Hatley, P.C. like to recognize the thousands of families formed through the adoption process and highlight the legal process – …
How to Keep Laredo Property Out of Probate Using Transfer-On-Death Tools When a loved one passes away, families not only face the immense grief of the loss but also the stress and cost of administering the estate. This process is called probate. The probate process can be time-consuming and costly. For families in Laredo, where property ownership often ties into cultural heritage and family legacy, avoiding probate whenever possible can protect financial …
Fall Family Checklist: 6 Legal Essentials to Prepare for the Holidays Legal issues don’t just pause for the holiday season. In fact, questions about custody, visitation, and support often become even more pressing as families juggle year-end schedules and obligations. As family law attorneys, we often see a surge of disputes around every holiday season, most of which could have been avoided …
7 Tips for Navigating Halloween as a Divorced Parent For most families, Halloween is one of the most anticipated nights of the year. Who doesn’t love the streets filled with costumed kids (and adults) going from house to house? But for divorced parents, Halloween can present some complications. Who gets to trick-or-treat this year? Who is responsible for costumes? Parties? School functions? Bedtime schedules and making sure the kids don’t consume the whole …
The Role of Amicus Attorneys in Parent-Child Cases in Laredo By the time a high-conflict custody dispute has reached a Texas courtroom, the lives of the family are already under a microscope. Each parent tells a different story, and witnesses may be giving competing accounts. And somewhere in the middle of all of this is a child who needs safety, stability, and security. In Laredo and throughout …
4 Ways a Separation Agreement Can Help You Avoid Conflict During the Holidays The holiday season brings more than just twinkling lights and festivities. It also brings crowded calendars, long to-do lists, and a fair share of financial strain. Between family events, the extra expense of gifts, and holiday travel, even the most organized families can …
5 Things to Think About Before Separating During the Holiday Season The holiday season – it’s depicted as a season of gathering families and joyful traditions. But for couples facing marital discord, this time can also reveal cracks in the armor. Is separation the right move? And when? Choosing to spend time apart is a …
Every April, cities across the country pause to recognize Child Abuse Awareness Month, but in Laredo, Texas, this recognition was more than a symbolic gesture. Earlier this year, city leaders, the Laredo Police Department, and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Laredo-Webb County came together to formally proclaim April as Child Abuse and Neglect Awareness and …
Schedule a Free Consultation Protect Your Rights, Finances, and Family When You Choose to Live Apart When a marriage reaches a breaking point, many couples choose to separate before filing for divorce. A separation agreement – also known as a marital settlement agreement or property settlement agreement, depending on the jurisdiction – is a legally …
Schedule a Free Consultation Understanding the Rights, Benefits, and Legal Protections Available to Military Spouses During Divorce, From Military Divorce Lawyers Military divorces are rarely straightforward. Because military life presents its own unique challenges, including frequent moves, deployments, and the blending of state and federal laws, this can make separating assets, determining support, and protecting …