It is no secret that family law courts are often biased against men, especially when it comes to child custody. Slowly but surely, there is starting to be a shift in the system. Florida family courts are recognizing the importance of fathers being involved with their children. Men are even being awarded alimony more than ever before. Regardless of this reassuring shift, a bias is still present and many men find themselves in what seems like an uphill battle with their cases. If you are going through a divorce or custody battle, it is important to know your rights and develop the best strategies for your situation. 

Custody and relocation battles are very prevalent in Florida’s family courtrooms. Relocation, or a change of residence, is the relocation of a child to a principal residence more than 50 miles away from the child’s address at the time of the request. If a parent wants to move a child less than 50 miles away from the nonresidential parent, a request for relocation is not necessary. Luckily for all parties involved, the courts are time sensitive to relocation cases. Once a temporary relocation is requested, the courts must hear the case within 30 days of the request being filed. If you are on a time crunch to move, you may be better off filing for temporary relocation first.

Verbal agreements can be just as binding as written agreements, but only if both parties are willing to honestly acknowledge the agreement. However, words really have no meaning in the legal system, unless they are backed up by documentation. Many men find themselves in a dilemma, when they have not properly documented agreements with their ex-spouse and are later faced with child support, custody agreements, divorce related issues, and division of property. With offices in Jacksonville, Fleming Island, Daytona, Gainesville, Fort Walton Beach, and Boca Raton, Florida, Kenny Leigh and Associates is a family law firm that represents only men and is committed to helping men understand their legal rights.

Divorce and separation are naturally hard on children, and parents should do all they can to protect their children from the pain of the changing family dynamics. It is very important that your children know how much you love them, and that you create some tangible, precious memories for them to hold in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

When couples separate or file for divorce, they may go through a period of time when they just can’t get along. One spouse or both can become irrational and seemingly go out of her way to argue and cause problems for the former spouse. Unfortunately, this creates chaos and quite often emotional turmoil for all parties involved.