If you are dealing with divorce, custody, or other family-related legal issues, a Dade City family law attorney can help. Family law governs some of the most personal and emotional aspects of life. Legal guidance can make the process less overwhelming and more effective.
At Newlon Law, we help clients throughout Dade City and eastern Pasco County navigate difficult family law matters with clarity and confidence. Our lead attorney, Jon, is a family law attorney in Dade City, FL, with over 26 years of experience in family law, estate planning, and business litigation.
We can help you understand your options, make informed decisions, and fight to achieve outcomes that support your family’s well-being. When you work with us, you get a plan, a guide, and peace of mind.
What Is Family Law?
Family law refers to legal rules and procedures that apply to personal and domestic relationships. It commonly includes:
- Marriage and divorce,
- Property division,
- Child custody and parenting plans,
- Child support,
- Spousal support or alimony,
- Paternity and parental rights,
- Enforcement of court orders, and
- Modifications of court orders.
Family law aims to protect children, ensure fairness between spouses or co-parents, and provide stability to families in transition.
What a Family Attorney Does
A Dade City family law attorney serves as an advocate, advisor, and problem-solver for individuals facing difficult transitions. A family law attorney’s role typically includes:
- Drafting and reviewing agreements and legal documents,
- Advising clients on their rights and responsibilities,
- Representing clients in court hearings and negotiations,
- Filing motions (formal legal requests) and presenting evidence to judges, and
- Helping clients understand and navigate complex legal procedures.
Attorneys help clients clarify their goals, avoid procedural missteps, and pursue outcomes that support their long-term stability and peace of mind.
Divorce
Ending a marriage involves legal, financial, and emotional challenges. When you file for divorce, you need to provide a reason. Florida does not require spouses to prove wrongdoing to get divorced—only that the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” meaning there is no reasonable chance the couple will reconcile.
Property Division
When Florida courts divide property during a divorce, they must achieve an equitable distribution of marital assets and debts. Marital property includes all assets and debts a spouse acquired during the marriage. Marital property does not include separate property, which is that obtained:
- Before marriage or after separation,
- Through a separate gift to only one spouse, and
- Through inheritance.
To determine how to divide marital property, Florida courts consider factors like:
- The length of the marriage;
- Each spouse’s financial resources;
- Contributions to the marriage, including homemaking and childcare;
- Career sacrifices made for the benefit of the family; and
- The health, age, and earning ability of each spouse.
An equitable distribution is fair based on the circumstances, not necessarily a 50/50 split.
Child Custody and Parenting Time
Determining how parents will divide time with their children and responsibilities for childcare after a separation is often the most emotionally charged part of a family law case. Florida courts prioritize the child’s well-being in all custody-related decisions.
Florida no longer uses the term “custody.” Instead, courts use “parental responsibility” to refer to legal decision-making authority and “time-sharing” to refer to how much time each parent physically spends with the child. The default is that both parents should share responsibility unless doing so seriously jeopardizes the child’s physical safety, emotional health, or overall development.
When evaluating custody and parenting time, courts consider:
- Each parent’s ability and willingness to provide a stable, loving environment;
- The child’s relationship with each parent;
- The child’s needs;
- Depending on age and maturity, the child’s preferences;
- Each parent’s willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other; and
- Any history of abuse, domestic violence, or substance abuse.
Judges rely on these and other relevant factors to determine what arrangement serves the child’s best interests.
Child Support
Child support ensures that children continue to receive financial care from both parents after separation or divorce. Florida uses formulas written into law to calculate child support fairly and consistently.
Child support is based on several factors, particularly:
- Parental income,
- Costs of health insurance and childcare,
- The number of children involved,
- The time-sharing schedule, and
- Any special needs the child may have.
Court orders issued by a judge enforce support obligations. Even when parents reach a private agreement, the court must approve the amount to ensure it is fair and sufficient.
Spousal Support (Alimony)
Spousal support, or alimony, provides financial assistance to a spouse going through a divorce or a former spouse who may be disadvantaged following a divorce. In 2023, Florida eliminated permanent alimony in most cases and placed limits on the amount and duration of support. When deciding whether to order spousal support, Florida courts consider the following factors:
- The duration of the marriage;
- The standard of living during the marriage, such as the type of housing, vacations, and general lifestyle the couple maintained;
- Each spouse’s financial resources and earning capacity;
- Contributions to the marriage, including childcare and homemaking; and
- Any physical or mental limitations affecting one spouse’s ability to work.
Spousal support helps the receiving spouse maintain financial stability during the transition to post-divorce life.
Paternity and Parental Rights
In Florida, a father must legally establish paternity before they can seek time-sharing, decision-making authority, or be held responsible for child support. You may establish paternity through:
- Voluntary acknowledgment by both parents,
- Genetic testing, or
- A court determination based on evidence.
Once the court concludes paternity, both parents have equal legal rights and responsibilities.
Enforcement of Existing Orders
Enforcement actions may be necessary when one party fails to follow a court order. Florida law provides several legal remedies for compelling compliance with custody, child support, or alimony orders.
If your co-parent or former spouse has violated a court order, you can file a formal written request asking the judge to enforce the existing order. The court can enforce the order using:
- Wage garnishment or property liens;
- Suspension of driver’s licenses;
- Contempt of court findings, which may involve fines, community service, or even jail time for willful noncompliance; and
- Make-up parenting time for denied visitation.
Our firm helps clients collect evidence, file motions, and represent their interests in court to ensure that court orders are followed and respected.
Modifications of Existing Orders
Life circumstances can change significantly after the entering of a divorce or custody order. Under Florida law, a modification requires a substantial, material, and unanticipated change in circumstances—a life event that you did expect at the time of the original order and that significantly affects a parent’s ability to comply with its terms or the fairness of those terms moving forward.
Changes that may justify a modification include:
- A change in income or employment,
- A change in the child’s needs or living situation,
- Health-related limitations affecting either parent, or
- Discovering new evidence of a parent’s behavior or misconduct.
You may request the court change a child custody, child support, or spousal support order.
Contact a Family Law Attorney in Dade City Today
At Newlon Law, P.A., we know how stressful and uncertain family law matters can be. If you are searching for a family attorney in Dade City, know that we bring over two decades of legal experience and a personal understanding of the emotional toll family transitions can take. We help our clients prepare, plan, and move forward. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
Resources:
- Dissolution of marriage, Fla. Stat. § 61.052 (2024), link.
- Equitable distribution of marital assets and liabilities, Fla. Stat. § 61.075 (2024), link.
- Alimony, Fla. Stat. § 61.08 (2024), link.
- Attachment or garnishment of amounts due for alimony or child support, Fla. Stat. § 61.12 (2024), link.
- Support of children; parenting and time-sharing; powers of court, Fla. Stat. § 61.13 (2024), link.
- Enforcement and modification of support, maintenance, or alimony agreements or orders, Fla. Stat. § 61.14 (2024), link.
- Alimony and child support; additional method for enforcing orders and judgments; costs, expenses, Fla. Stat. § 61.17 (2024), link.
- Child support guidelines; principles; applicability, Fla. Stat. § 61.29 (2024), link.
- Child support guidelines; retroactive child support, Fla. Stat. § 61.30 (2024), link.
- Establishment of paternity for children born out of wedlock, Fla. Stat. § 0742.10 (2024), link.