Author Archives: Jay Butchko

Where To File Your Florida Military Divorce
When in the military, filing for divorce takes on new dimensions that civilians need not contend with, not least of all the time and place where one must file the action. In Florida, the place in particular can be important for a variety of reasons. Active duty military personnel are constantly on the move… Read More »

The Role of a Personal Representative In Probate Proceedings
When a person passes away, and they leave a will behind, there is a specific process that the state wants their heirs to follow in terms of liquidating the estate. With very rare exceptions, every person passes away with at least some assets to their name – items such as automobiles, land, and smaller… Read More »

Emotional Support & Service Animals In Condos
People of all walks of life have service animals and emotional support animals that improve their quality of life significantly. However, it is not uncommon for landlords and business owners to either misunderstand or ignore the law surrounding the right to own these animals, and condo boards are no exception to the general ignorance… Read More »

From Community Property To Equitable Distribution: What Changes?
It is a fact of life that sometimes, employment or family considerations necessitate moving, often from state to state. Doing so is rarely easy, as it can be a bit of a culture shock even moving a mere handful of miles, and a move is doubly hard if it comes coupled with marital problems…. Read More »

Ending Child Support Payments Early Or Late
In the significant majority of divorce cases which involve child support, those payments will terminate on the child’s 18th birthday, which should (at least in theory) be listed in the divorce decree as the date of cessation of payments. However, there are certain sets of circumstances under which support can be terminated either early… Read More »

Coercion, Duress and Prenuptial Agreements
More and more nowadays, couples are signing prenuptial agreements, or prenups, before they marry. It is being seen more often as protecting one’s investments than as a cold, unromantic business deal. However, it is this familiarity that can sometimes lead to coercion or putting one party under duress, whether intentional or not – people… Read More »

Why Do I Need A Probate Attorney?
If you have had a recent death among your loved ones, you may be feeling overwhelmed with not only saying goodbye, but also with all the legal ramifications surrounding the disposal of their property, especially if they did not leave a will or other estate plan. In Florida, the large majority of estates go… Read More »

Divorcing While Deployed
Being deployed is something that a soldier both expects and dreads. However, it can sometimes bring not only professional, but personal changes. It is less unusual than one might think to try and obtain a divorce while your military spouse is deployed – it may not be concluded until their tour of duty is… Read More »

Who Can Run For Condo or HOA Board?
While condo boards and homeowners’ associations (HOAs) are fairly low-key organizations in most respects, one area where regulations become quite strict is in the issue of board elections. The board has enormous power to make decisions that affect not only owners, but everyone who lives in the condominiums or the association, and even those… Read More »

Property Classification & Distribution in Florida
When two people get married, they both bring property into the marriage, but the bulk of a couple’s assets are acquired either in anticipation of the marriage or during it. As such, most couples will have both marital and separate property between them. It is important to classify assets appropriately, because only marital property… Read More »