Chicago Tribune,  Lisa Black, Oct. 24, 2013

You would probably consider using a collection agency to collect a business debt. Why not consider using an outside agency to collect child support?

According to the Chicago Tribune, Lee Ann Verzi just started receiving child support from her ex-husband last year. Her daughter is 33 years old.

The St. Charles woman turned to a collection agency that specializes in obtaining child support after she learned there is no statute of limitations in Illinois. In return, the company, Support Collectors Inc., will keep 30 percent of the total her ex-husband pays.

If you are having problems with child support issues or any other family law situations, give Steven Hair a call.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

What exactly do you need to know before you hire a lawyer? Here are some questions to ask before you write a retainer check or sign on the dotted line.

The following information was published through “Family Education”

Concerning general experience, ask these questions:

• How many matrimonial cases have you handled?
• How many of those cases went to trial? (An attorney who has done a lot of trials might not be a good negotiator. Keep that in mind, especially when the lawyer hasn’t been in practice very long.)
• How many of these cases involved custody, support, business valuations, large financial settlements, or whatever issue feels like your major concern?
• Where did you go to law school? (Don’t ask if the diploma is staring you in the face.)
• Are you experienced in unbundled divorce (or collaborative divorce, or whatever style of divorce you hope to enter)?
• Do you have the time to take on a new case now?
• Do you know my husband (or wife)?
• Do you know his or her attorney?

Ask about day-to-day operations:

• Will anyone (usually an associate) be assisting you on my case?
• What is his or her experience?
• Can I meet the associate now?
• What work would the associate do and what work would you do?
• Which one of you will negotiate the case? (If you want to be sure that the lawyer you are seeing is the negotiator, make that clear. You don’t want an intern performing your quadruple bypass surgery, and you don’t want an inexperienced associate you haven’t met negotiating your divorce.)
• Who will try my case?
• Are you available to take phone calls?
• Is the associate available to take calls?
• What hours are you usually in the office?
• Do you have any time-consuming trials coming up?
• Will I get copies of all papers (letters, faxes, legal papers) in my case? (Be sure the answer is “yes.”)

Make sure the fees are clear:

• What is your hourly billing rate?
• What is the associate’s billing rate?
• If both you and the associate are working on my case at the same time, am I billed at your combined rates? (Some firms do that only if two attorneys are needed, such as at trial. Others do it routinely, and others only bill you at the higher attorney’s rate.)
• Is your fee for trial different from your hourly rate? (Some attorneys charge a set fee for every day they are in court.)
• Do you charge a retainer, and how much is it?
• Will the billing arrangements be set out in writing? (Insist that they be.)
• What happens when the retainer is used up?
• Will you keep me informed each month as to how much of the retainer has been depleted?
• What happens if I get behind on the bills?
• Can you collect your fees from my spouse?
• How much am I billed for copies of all relevant documents? (If the fee is too high, you might want to make copies on your own.)
• What extra fees should I expect? (Your retainer will spell out your responsibility for “fees”—what the lawyer charges for his/her time versus “costs”—things like court filing fees, process server fees, excessive postage, messengers, stenographers, or similar out-of-pocket expenses.)
• Are those fees due in advance, and will I know in advance what they are?
• Am I billed for telephone calls?
• Do you have a minimum unit of time you bill me for? (Some lawyers will bill you for 5 or even 15 minutes when a call takes only 4 minutes.

Ask these questions about handling the case:

• Will I have input in decisions concerning strategy in my case?
• Will I be kept informed of all developments?
• What problems do you foresee arising in my case?
• What are your personal feelings about joint custody versus sole custody? Sometimes a lawyer has strong convictions one way or the other that could potentially affect the outcome of your case despite the fact that your wishes should prevail.
• Based on your experience, how much do you think my case will cost?

Before you make the final decision to sign on with a lawyer, be sure to fill out the attorney checklist. It will guide you in your decision—and serve as a reminder about your agreement in the months to come.

You’re Hired!

After you have decided whom you want to represent you, a reputable lawyer will send you his or her written agreement concerning fees and will give you time to ask questions about the agreement before you sign it. If a lawyer asks you to sign an agreement in his or her office without giving you the chance to think it over, look for another lawyer. Sometimes it’s worth showing the agreement to your business or personal lawyer, whom you trust. If and when you do return the written agreement, you usually have to include the retainer check required as your initial payment.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

Refer Chicago Tribune February 01, 2011

Q: Why do men need gender-specific advice about not making stupid mistakes when facing divorce?

A: Technically, any of the 10 items below can pertain to either gender. However, you find these mistakes occurring in far greater numbers for men.

Q: What mistakes top the list?

A: One of the worst mistakes would definitely be doing a sloppy job on financial records. Taking care of these documents is pivotal to the outcome of the divorce settlement, in particular, the statement of income, expenses and property. All of these documents become part of the court record and ultimately determine the amount of maintenance and child support that is paid, and who lives in the house.

A lot of guys are way too casual about this step and just don’t give it the attention that they should. You might have to pay a little more on the front end in attorney fees, but at the end of the day, not being attentive to these financial records can be one of the costliest mistakes a client can make.

The 10 no-nos

Here’s a snapshot of the advice readers will find in lawyer Joseph Cordell’s “The 10 Stupidest Mistakes Men Make When Facing Divorce.”

Here’s a snapshot of mistakes men often make, from attorney Joseph Cordell’s book:

1. Moving out before divorce proceedings begin. “In custody contests, the continued daily interaction with your children and intimate awareness of the details of their day is key.”

2. Choosing the wrong lawyer. “It’s reasonable to ask lawyers how many divorces they have tried.”

3. Waiting for your wife to file. “Judges, even after all their legal training and experience, are still prone to give a lot of weight to the story they hear first.”

4. Concealing information. “Your lawyer needs to know anything and everything your wife might say about you to hurt you or your case.”

5. Neglecting the children. “Part of your duty during divorce proceedings, and well after the ink has dried on the divorce decree, is to protect both parents’ relationships with the kids.”

6. Doing a sloppy job on financial records. Sloppy financial reporting, Cordell writes, can hurt your credibility during the divorce proceedings.

7. Talking too much, especially to your wife. “Avoid talking to other people, too, especially family and friends, and in-laws most of all.”

8. Revealing too much on the Internet. “The Web is the worst place to keep a secret. And anything can be subject to misinterpretation.”

9. Failing to fully engage in your case. “Listen to your attorney, and ask questions if you don’t understand anything.”

10. Being ill-prepared. “Don’t avoid preparing to testify or be interviewed just because you’re nervous or uncomfortable or don’t want to think about it.”

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

article by Molly Murphy

The court orders and believes that both parents should promote a relationship with the other parent. Each parent recognizes that the best interest of the children requires that he/she allow the children to love the other parent. The parents shall cooperate so that the children have regular and frequent contact with the other parent so that the children and parents have affection and respect for each other. Mom and dad each agree to take no action, which would demean the other and agree to set aside any issues and feeling of antipathy and marital discord toward the other for the sake of rearing psychologically healthy children.

Further, legal custody asks parents to work together to further their child’s education and decisions about school. Each parent shall notify the other of any activity such as school conferences, programs, parties, field trips, etc., where parents are invited to attend. The presence of each at such functions shall be encouraged and welcomed by the other.

The court encourages parents to go beyond even communication by asking each parent to also notify the other parent of the unusual performance of the children, whether good or bad, on any project, test, quiz or homework assignment and any important communications from school regarding attendance, behavior, grades, etc. Each parent agrees to assist as is necessary with homework.

Both parents recognize that each of them has the responsibility of contacting teachers and counselors as required by the children’s education and development, and the desirability of making those contacts together if possible. Parents should agree to provide each other with information described above by telephone as soon as reasonable or in person.

Steven  W. Hair focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.familylawclearwater.com

Or call (727) 726-0797

By David Gardner December 2, 2010 Daily Mail Online

It used to be the tell-tale lipstick on the collar. Then there were the give-away texts that spelled the death knell for many marriages.But now one in five divorces involve the social networking site Facebook, according to a new survey by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Lady on Facebook

A staggering 80 per cent of divorce lawyers have also reported a spike in the number of cases that use social media for evidence of cheating.

Flirty messages and photographs found on Facebook are increasingly being cited as proof of unreasonable behaviour or irreconcilable differences.

Many cases revolve around social media users who get back in touch with old flames they hadn’t heard from in many years.

Facebook was by far the biggest offender, with 66 per cent of lawyers citing it as the primary source of evidence in a divorce case. MySpace followed with 15 per cent, Twitter at 5 per cent and other choices lumped together at 14 per cent.

The survey reflects the findings of a UK law firm last year showing that 20 per cent of its divorce petitions blamed Facebook flings.

The most common reason seemed to be people having inappropriate sexual chats with people they were not supposed to,’ said Mark Keenan, managing director of Divorce-Online. Friends Reunited faced similar claims when it was launched to help people reconnect with old classmates, but the 23 million plus people now using Facebook in Britain means it is having a much bigger effect on rising divorce rates.

‘Desperate Housewives’ star Eva Longoria recently split from her basketball player husband Tony Parker after alleging that he strayed with a woman he kept in touch with on Facebook.

An American minister also made the headlines recently when he called Facebook a ‘portal to infidelity’ and insisted that his congregation delete their accounts after revealing that 20 couples attending his New Jersey church had been led astray through the site.

Rev. Cedric Millier, who runs the Living World Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune, New Jersey, said Facebook enabled spouses to reconnect with former lovers, leading to rows and bitterness.

‘Going through a divorce always results in heightened levels of personal scrutiny. If you publicly post any contradictions to previously made statements and promises, an estranged spouse will certainly be one of the first people to notice and make use of that evidence,’ said American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers President Marlene Eskind Moses.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

article by Edward Johnson, October 2011

When you rent a house or apartment to another person, you enter into a legal contract known as a landlord-tenant relationship. This contract has certain basic conditions set by law that you should understand before you enter into this type of agreement.

As a landlord, you have the right to receive rent for the use of your property. You also have the right to have your property returned to you undamaged at the end of the rental agreement. It should be returned in the same condition it was received, except for normal wear and tear. In exchange for these rights, it is your responsibility to provide a home that is habitable and to make repairs when needed. You must also equip the residence with a properly working smoke detector and provide the initial set of batteries if it is battery operated.

It is your duty as a landlord to respect your tenant’s rights. These rights include the right of peaceful possession. By renting your property to the tenant, you give that tenant the possession and use of your property free from interference. That means that you may not enter frequently, at odd hours, without a legitimate reason, or without notice. You typically have the right to protect your property through reasonable inspection to make repairs and to show the property to possible buyers. You must give at least 24 hours notice of your intent to enter unless the tenant has asked in writing for repairs within the last seven days or there is an emergency.

As a landlord, you are responsible for observing federal, state and local laws when it comes to the use and condition of the property.

When you rent your property to someone, you must give him or her your name and address or the name and address of your authorized manager. You cannot discriminate against a tenant for having children, for being disabled, or for any other illegal reason. Some of the additional reasons include: a tenant’s successful defense against the grounds for a past landlord’s attempt to evict him or her; the tenant’s having been the victim of a domestic violence or sexual assault or stalking crime; the tenant’s religion, or race or ethnic background. In some locations, it is unlawful to treat differently people who are aged or who are not heterosexual.

You may not retaliate against a tenant by raising the rent, shutting off utilities, or trying to evict the tenant because he or she complained to you or a public agency about habitability conditions, discrimination or other violations of the law, or because the tenant joined or organized a tenants’ union or organization. You cannot lock a tenant out. The only exception to this prohibition occurs when a tenant who can demonstrate she or he has been the victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault asks to have the perpetrator tenant locked out of the unit where the victim of the crime continues to live.

Steven W. Hair focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.familylawclearwater.com

Or call (727) 726-0797

(article will continue next month)

Effective January 1, 2011, there are some significant changes to the child support statute (Section 61.30, Florida Statutes).  The most far reaching may be the change in the definition of “substantial time sharing” from 40% of the childrens overnights per year to 20% of the overnights per year.  This will likely result in a reduction in the child support obligations of most non-custodial parents based upon their having relatively routine time-sharing with the children.

In order for a parent to meet the 20% threshhold, he (or she) would have to have the children for only 73 overnights per year.  This would include not only normal weekday/weekend time-sharing, but also holiday and summer nights.  A parent who currently has the children only every other weekend from friday evening until monday morning would have a minimum of 78 nights.  Add to that Winter Holiday, Spring Break and Summer vacation overnights and that parent would now be entitled to a substantial break in his/her support obligation.  The more time (i.e. the higher the percentage of overnights) that a parent has the children, the greater the discount in the support obligation.

When the legislature instituted the “40% overnights” standard, the result was essentially a line-in-the-sand or battle line between parents arguing not about a schedule which met their children’s best interests, but rather a schedule which artificially affected child support.  By reducing the standard for substantial time sharing to 20%, which is very close to the traditional time-sharing schedule, perhaps the parties will be less motivated to litigate for their interests rather than their childrens.  One can only hope.

On the other hand, many custodial parents feel they do not receive enough child support as it is.  The legislature did make some accomodation by now including 100% of the child care cost in the support calculations, rather than only 75% as before.  This, of course, is of no benefit to parents of older children.

There are a number of other changes to the child support law including tax treatment, imputed income, presumptive termination of support at age 18 rather than graduation, and required findings for the automatic reduction of support as older children reach age 18.

If this may affect your situation, please call me for an appointment.

Steven W. Hair, focuses his practice as a divorce attorney, family law attorney in Clearwater, Palm Harbor, and Safety Harbor.

For more information, visit our website at www.FamilyLawClearwater.com
or call (727) 726-0797.

Legislature Creates New Alimony In Florida

            Effective July 1, 2010, the Florida legislature created a completely new form of alimony in the state.  It is called “Durational Alimony”, and is awarded for a set period of time, rather than permanently.  Unlike rehabilitative alimony, it does not require any rehabilitative plan.  It is expressly awardable in marriages in which permanent periodic alimony is not applicable, such as short-term (7 years or less) and moderate-term (greater than 7 years, but less than 17 years) marriages.  The new revised statutory provision reads as follows:

“(7)      Durational alimony may be awarded when permanent periodic alimony is inappropriate.  The purpose of durational alimony is to provide a party with economic assistance for a set period of time following a marriage of short or moderate duration.  An award of durational alimony terminates upon the death of either party or upon the remarriage of the party receiving alimony.  The amount of an award of durational alimony may be modified or terminated based upon a substantial change in circumstances in accordance with s. 61.14.  However, the length of an award of durational alimony may not be modified except under exceptional circumstances and may not exceed the length of the marriage.”

Steven W. Hair, divorce attorney, Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor

For more information, visit our website at  www.FamilyLawClearwater.com