Naples Family Law Blog

Parents who divorce sometimes do so because of claims of domestic abuse. This is a very serious claim that should only be made when it is factual. One of the reasons is that a parent who is being accused of domestic violence might not be able to spend time with their children like they want.

For some parents, there is a court order that they must have someone watching them with their children. This is known as supervised visitation and usually means that the child won't have overnight visits with the children. There are a few points about this supervised parenting time that you need to remember.

One of the most important reasons to establish legal paternity in Florida is to increase ways your child can inherit from you. With the law recognizing you as a legal father, your child will have the right to receive certain assets from you when you pass away. Even if your child is not automatically in line to receive assets like your retirement and pension benefits, establishing parentage will put your offspring in consideration for inheritance.

According to Pocketsense, many pension plans require a spouse of the pension holder to be named as a beneficiary. However, if you are an unmarried or divorced father, your child stands a greater chance of receiving the assets of the pension if you should die, although the terms of the pension may still complicate matters. One way to help ensure your child receives your pension is, if possible, to specifically name your child as a beneficiary on the pension.

Being a father can be one of the most important jobs a man ever has. If you are going through a Florida divorce and trying to develop a parenting plan, you may worry that you aren’t spending enough time with your children. At Beverly L. Brennan, P.A., we assist clients in creating parenting plans that help you move past the turmoil of divorce and on to the next chapter in your life.

If you haven’t spent much one-on-one time with your children, you may have concerns about doing the right things for them. Happy You, Happy Family, published some simple but important things that kids want from their dads.

• Establish a routine that works for you and them, then stick to it. Find things that you can do together every week, whether it’s sitting down to a meal together or helping them get dressed. It doesn’t need to be big things. The time and regularity make the activity special.
• Show your interest in their lives by asking about school, things they love, what they worry about and what they look forward to doing. It may be tempting to try to fix their problems, but in the end, that is not what they want. They just want you to listen.
• If you are a sports fan, teach them the rules as you watch the game. They may learn to love the game because you do, and it gives you something to share.

Adoption is a common way for people to grow their families. Couples adopt for all kinds of reasons. Maybe a relative or a child you had a pre-existing relationship with wound up in foster care. Perhaps you are unable to have children biologically, or maybe you just wanted to give a home to a child who was already here.

Regardless of the initial reasons why you and your partner chose to adopt, you will likely have many concerns about what could happen if you divorce with an adopted child in your family. Divorce and child custody are complex areas of Florida family law. When there is an unusual complicating factor, such as an adoptive relationship, there can be even more questions for everyone involved.