Many married couples do not have children. And so when they divorce, there aren't issues of child custody.
The absence of children, however, does not necessarily mean a couple has no little creature to contend over. After all, in Florida and across the country, many people are very close to their dogs, cats or other pets. People may feel this way whether they have children or not.
Former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Chad Johnson -- better known by his former professional moniker Chad Ochocinco -- was briefly jailed earlier this week after allegedly violating his probation in connection with a domestic violence charge.
Back in August, Johnson's wife, reality TV star Evelyn Lozada, accused him of head-butting her. After the incident, she filed for divorce and Johnson was charged with domestic violence.
Given how high the divorce rate is, it's only normal for someone getting married to give at least some thought to what might happen if things don't work out. After all, nearly half of all couples break up within the first ten years of marriage.
That is why, in Florida and across the nation, couples may consider prenuptial agreements or other arrangements to guide the division of marital property in the event of divorce.
There is no doubt that domestic violence is a factor in many divorces. In this respect, Florida is no different than any other state in the nation.
But in every state, including Florida, the legal system is seeking to improve the way it responds in domestic violence cases. Citizens and government officials in the Fort Lauderdale area may therefore find recent efforts in the Orlando area to be of interest.
When a married couple gets divorced, a big factor in shaping an appropriate settlement is whether there are children. For couples who have kids, child custody and child support decisions are often front and center. This certainly remains true in Florida, regardless of what a judge may decide about an alimony award.
But for these couples, it isn’t only whether there are children to be provided for that is a key consideration in a divorce settlement. In financial terms, a fair settlement also often depends on taking account of children’s future needs — particularly the need to create a fund to help pay for college.
Governors have a tremendous amount of power. Each state is different, of course, and some state government structures grant more powers to the governor than others. By and large, however, governors play the paramount role in state government. They do this through their budget priorities and, sometimes, through their power to veto bills passed by the legislature.
The veto power was on full display in Florida this week. Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the controversial divorce law overhaul that we have discussed in recent posts. In his veto message, the governor expressed concern about one provision of the bill in particular - the one allowing for previous awards of alimony to be retroactively ended.
Safety advocates are training Florida hairstylists on how to identify signs of domestic violence. The trainings have been spurred by a domestic abuse incident, which resulted in the death of three people in a local salon just a few months ago.
The Florida salon is now closed; however, some remember the tragedy like it was yesterday. It was just a regular day at the salon until a 36-year-old man showed up. He shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend and ultimately killed three women in the incident.
By midnight tonight, Governor Rick Scott must make his choice on the overhaul of Florida’s divorce laws passed by the legislature last month. The overhaul bill, SB 718, was been very controversial. It is still unclear whether the governor will sign it or veto it. Many people are asking the governor to veto the bill.
Why has the bill been so controversial? One view is that by making alimony harder to get and ending awards of permanent alimony, many people, but especially women, could become impoverished after a divorce. The reality, they say, is that even in the twenty-first century, many women remain financially dependent on their husbands — or former husbands.
People in Florida generally understand the effect that a divorce can have on children. We know that it can be difficult for a child to cope when their parents break up, especially if the divorce is bitter and contentious. But there are certainly ways that parents can protect the wellbeing of their children while also coming to fair and agreeable child support and child custody arrangements.
Unfortunately, not all parents are focused on their child during this process. Some mothers and fathers can get so wrapped up in the contentious feeling they have for an ex that they focus more on punishing the other parent than they do on protecting their child. This may be the case for a dramatic child support dispute involving a millionaire business tycoon, his ex-wife and Andrew Cader, the part owner of the Tampa Bay Rays.
When domestic disputes make it into the news, they typically tend to involve a man beating up a woman. But the reality is that in Florida and the rest of the United States, assaults are recorded every day. Some involve husband and wife. Others feature one domestic partner pitted against another.
Rarely do you hear of the confrontation happening between an adult son and his father. As a story out of Pompano Beach shows, however, it happens. And because of the emotional tensions and concern over further physical harm, the arraigning judge has imposed a restraining order in the case.
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