Author Archives: Jay Butchko
Martha Suglaski and Robert Reich Begin High-Profile Divorce
Robert Reich has filed papers to petition the court for a divorce from his wife who happens to be high-profile media personality, Martha Sugalski. The two spoke at length about their difficulty conceiving children after a number of failed attempts and at least one miscarriage. They also spoke openly about the joy of having… Read More »
How Courts Decide Child Custody in Florida
You can come to the table ready to decide every aspect of your divorce, but child custody and arrangements are the one thing that the court must approve regardless of yours or your spouse’s wishes. However, in 2008, the Florida legislature passed sweeping regulations that broadened child custody considerations and changed some of the… Read More »
Adultery and Divorce in the State of Florida
Some states allow citizens to pursue a divorce on fault grounds. Florida doesn’t. In states where fault-based divorces are allowed, one spouse blames the other for the breakdown of the marriage. In a no-fault divorce, either spouse can claim that the marriage is irretrievably broken and proceed from there. This saves the courts the… Read More »
Alimony Reform Could be on 2020 Legislative Agenda
The battle lines are already forming, at least according to one Florida political blog, with both sides preparing their arguments and deadlock likely on the horizon. While those criticizing reform are being characterized as greedy gold-diggers, those advocating for reform are perhaps even more unlikable after insensitive comments on social media got out. The… Read More »
The Case of the Missing Word
All divorce cases are painful, but imagine losing $1.5 million because there was a word missing in your filing. A second district court of appeals ruled that a missing ‘a’ in a petition for the dissolution of marriage was enough to cost a former spouse $1.5 million. How did this happen? Well, Jennie Familgio… Read More »
The Florida Woman Who Was Arrested for Turning in Her Husband’s Guns
A Florida woman was charged with theft after turning her husband’s guns into the police after he was charged with aggravated domestic battery. This story made national headlines and became the foundation for a renewed debate over gun violence and domestic violence. The conversation became particularly charged after the woman was arrested for attempting… Read More »
Is Collaborative Divorce the Right Option for You?
Traditional divorces are a contested process during which each party argues their own “side” and attempts to convince the court why they should get such-and-such alimony or take primary custody of their children. Since this process can get ugly, and often does, a second option became available to couples looking to dissolve their marriage:… Read More »
LGBT Divorce and Child Custody
After the recognition of LGBT marriage across the United States in 2015, legal scholars and family law attorneys braced themselves for a new challenge: LGBT divorce. While LGBT couples have all the same rights and protections afforded by marriage, they also face unique challenges in one major area: Child custody. When an LGBT couple… Read More »
When Alimony Lawsuits Get Ugly
The Tampa Bay Times recently ran a piece detailing just how ugly alimony lawsuits can get. Former husband Dr. Mark Flood and his ex-wife Blake Taylor had to come before a judge to determine why Flood was behind on his alimony payments, why those payments were always late, and why he had allowed his… Read More »
