Author: WB Admin

What You Need for a Florida Parenting Agreement

Posted on by WB Admin

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Family Law on Thursday October 01, 2020.

Sometimes called a custody agreement, a parenting agreement outlines how parents will share the rights and responsibilities of raising their children. This agreement also establishes a time-sharing schedule, a schedule of days and times for both parents to spend an equal amount of time with their children. In a trial for child support and/or custody, each parent submits a proposed plan and a judge reviews the proposal and creates the final agreement based on what is best for the child.  There are different types of agreements and choosing the right plan depends on the needs to be met for the child. 

Types of Agreements

It’s important to know what type of parenting agreement you need for your child. There are four different types of parenting agreements:

  • Basic Agreements are ideal for co-parents cooperating willingly with one another.
  • Long Distance Agreements are recommended for cooperating co-parents who live more than 50 miles from each other.
  • Highly Structured Agreements are for co-parents prone to frequent disagreements that require mediator or lawyer interventions, or mandated parenting cooperation.
  • Safety Focused Agreements allow a parent-child relationship, but are for cases where the children or parents are at risk for violence, abuse (to include substance abuse), or criminal activities; time sharing is strictly monitored or sometimes denied and this type of agreement also sets guidelines on physical discipline, firearms, parents’ substance use, and other persons allowed around the child.    

Creating Your Parenting Plan

You want a detailed parenting plan that contains all the required information. The more detailed your plan the more effective the final agreement will be. Your proposed parenting plan must address the following:

  • How parental rights, responsibilities, and child care tasks will be shared. 
  • How decisions relating to education, medical (to include dental care), and childcare will be divided.
  • How time-sharing will be divided. 
  • How transportation and child exchanges will work.
  • How parents will communicate with each other.
  • How children will communicate with the other parent during time-sharing.
  • How changes to the plan and schedules will be handled.
  • How conflicts related to the parenting plan and parenting time will be resolved.

How the schedule will develop through time and as the child ages. 

Agreements You Can Get Set Up Before or During Your Marriage to Protect Your Wealth

Posted on by WB Admin

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Estate Planning  on Thursday October 1, 2020.

When two people marry, often times financial responsibilities become shared; spouses take on each other’s pre-existing and future debts (credit card debts, collection accounts, student loans, etc.), open joint financial accounts, and file together during tax season. However, when couples divorce, shared assets are divided among both parties, as well as assets gained individually before or during marriage. 

No one wants to lose financial property in the event of a divorce. Marital agreements are contracts between spouses that protect an individual’s assets and address how alimony and property are distributed during a divorce.

Two Types of Marital Agreements

There are two types of marital agreements. A Prenuptial Agreement (also called “premarital agreements”) is signed by the potential spouses before the marriage. A Postnuptial Agreement is put in place after marriage. These contracts don’t have to be renewed and they don’t expire. It is smart financial planning to have a marital agreement in place because it allows spouses control of their individual property during marriage and keeps non-marital accounts, non-marital funds, and separate (not joined, non-marital) property separated. Marital agreements:

  • Cover each spouse’s financial rights during marriage and in the event of divorce 
  • Can protect individual annuities (life insurance policies, retirement plans, pensions, etc.) from being divided between spouses in event of divorce 
  • Determines a waiver of alimony during separation or divorce, or alimony costs and duration
  • May ensure individual’s income earned during marriage is not distributed to spouse in the event of divorce
  • Protects an individual from incurring the debts of their spouse during marriage and protects against legal obligation of debt repayment on those debts after divorce

For some, it might seem unromantic to discuss with your partner the subject of a marital agreement, but it is a very practical option to consider in the event of a divorce for a variety of reasons, plus it protects personal finances and family fortunes. Marital agreements are ideal for:

  • People who owned assets prior to the marriage that they want to protect, 
  • People with children from a previous relationship who want to protect their child’s inheritance from being subject to division in the event of divorce, 
  • Or people who have businesses they want to keep separate from their marriage in the event of divorce.

To file a marital agreement, it must meet certain requirements. Full disclosure of both spouses’ financial information to include statements and assets must be provided and reviewed by attorneys from different firms representing both spouses and found to meet all legal guidelines. 

At our firm we can help you explore options of asset protection and choose the right marital agreement for your needs. Contact our office to schedule a consultation.

Who Should You Choose As Your Power of Attorney?

Posted on by WB Admin

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Estate Planning on Monday August 31, 2020

Appointing a power of attorney can be an uncomfortable and terrifying prospect. Choosing the wrong person or people can throw the incapacitated parties, their families, and their estate into disarray. However, the alternate – leaving everything to chance after the incapacitated party’s death – could cause even more problems.

There are multiple factors to consider when deciding on whom to grant powers of attorney.

Types of Power of Attorney

There are two types of power of attorney:

  • Durable Power of Attorney: A durable power of attorney has control over the signer’s financial, legal, and business holdings from the moment that the signer finalizes the documents to the moment that the signer revokes the power.
  • Contingent Power of Attorney: A contingent power of attorney has control over the signer’s financial, legal, and business holdings from the moment that the signer is incapacitated to the moment that the signer is no longer incapacitated.

Note that both types of power of attorney are revoked if/when the signer dies.

Traits to Seek in a Power of Attorney

Selecting the right power of attorney is more complicated than picking the nearest friend or relative. The power of attorney will have to perform multiple duties under stressful circumstances. Powers of attorney should have the following qualities:

  • The power of attorney should get along cordially and respectfully with the signer’s family. Conflicts with the signer’s family can lead to litigation, which would reduce the value of the signer’s states and therefore reduce the chances of the signer’s wishes being met.
  • The power of attorney should be free of external influences that would override the signer’s wishes with their own. A strong-willed spouse, family member, or friend might successfully manipulate the power of attorney to gain the signer’s funds.
  • The power of attorney should advocate for the signer’s wishes without being unyielding. Compromises may be necessary to make peace with the signer’s family, but the signer’s wishes should be the top priority.
  • The power of attorney should not hesitate to put the signer’s best interest above their own. Designating someone as power of attorney grants tremendous influence over the signer’s estate. An unscrupulous power of attorney could take some or all of the signer’s estate. 
  • The power of attorney should not inherit from the signer’s estate upon death. This would create a conflict of interest where the power of attorney has little personal motivation to honor the signer’s wishes.

Let Us Help You Appoint the Right Power of Attorney

Our firm can help you manage your estate and ensure that your requirements are met. Call our offices, and we’ll schedule a consultation with you.

What Types of Information Can Be Used in a Family Law Courtroom?

Posted on by WB Admin

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Family Law on Monday August, 31, 2020.

With the country’s constantly-changing laws – combined with a swarm of misinformation – determining what information can be presented in legal matters can be a daunting task. Generally speaking, all presented evidence must be both legally obtained and pertaining to the issue being litigated.

Information That Can Be Used in a Family Law Courtroom

Admissible evidence and testimony include the following categories:

  • “Writings”: Any legally-obtained document that is pertinent to the matter under litigation can be presented as evidence. Whether the document is text-based, imagery, or a combination of both is not relevant. The form of the writing – whether it be physical or electronic – is immaterial as long as the writing is complete.
  • Witnesses: Any person with direct information or relevant expertise can provide testimony for either the plaintiff or the defendant. Witnesses are generally divided into three categories:
    • Witness of Material Fact: A witness of material fact has observed or heard incidents that pertain to the legal proceedings.
    • Expert Witness: An expert witness is an accomplished individual whose area of expertise overlaps with the issue being litigated.
    • Character Witness: A character witness is someone who knows one of the litigants and is summoned to testify regarding the litigant’s moral code and behavior.
  • Social Media: Any social media that can be printed in its entirety is considered admissible. We’ve previously discussed the implications of displays of indulgence or excessive displays of childrens’ development. It’s advisable to be wary of what to share online, as seemingly-innocuous posts can be detrimental in a court of law.

Information That Cannot Be Used in a Family Law Courtroom

Any evidence that can be proven as illegally-obtained or unrelated can be dismissed. These include:

  • Illegally-obtained recordings: Wiretaps obtained without warrants, illegal recordings, and any media that can be considered an unauthorized breach of privacy are not valid evidence in family law.
  • Irrelevant evidence: Any evidence that is not relevant to the matter under litigation can be excluded after a successful objection. Also, evidence that can be considered prejudicial can be blocked from the legal proceedings.
  • Unauthenticated writings: Documents that cannot be validated are subject to exclusion.
  • Testimony that a witness cannot corroborate: Remarks that are hearsay – unverified testimony about what a third party said – or demonstrate a lack of personal knowledge can be removed from the court record.

It’s important to know what evidence can be admitted and when to object to the opposing counsel’s evidence. Call the attorneys at Wickersham and Bowers today for a consultation!

Serving Daytona Beach and surrounding areas.

Social Media Implications Relating to Family Law

Posted on by WB Admin

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Family Law on Thursday, July 16th, 2020

Today social media has become part and parcel of our daily lives. So much so that it can be used in a court of law to prove certain facts. As in other parts of the law, social media has changed family law quite a bit. Here are some of the corresponding implications. 

Social Media Content Is Now Admissible In Court

Since social media has become an integral part of our lives, digital content can be presented to support or demolish certain facts and narratives of a particular case. When the content has been legally obtained, the judge will allow the content into evidence and if it contradicts formally made statements such as affidavits, it can raise some very serious credibility issues. These may build or damn your case altogether. 

Content That Can Impact a Family Law Dispute

It’s always important that people take extra care when posting content online. These photos, videos and posts can be used against you in a court of law and end up costing you the case. During a family law dispute, sharing certain type of data can be detrimental to your case. This includes sharing private information concerning your children, spouse or the court case. You can also get in trouble by posting content that depicts dangerous, antisocial behavior. In custody cases, this content can be used as evidence of showing that someone is an unfit parent or that they don’t deserve to have custody of the child. 

Child and Spousal Maintenance

In cases where one party is looking for parental support for a minor or even spousal support altogether, social media posts can be used to make a case. Often the court will order one party to pay a certain amount of money every month. From this order, a party may claim hardship which means that they cannot fulfill this obligation. To show that the other party is being untruthful, social media content such as photos of someone living lavishly can be used to support their claim. This can include digital content depicting holidays, new asset acquisitions, eating out can be very compelling evidence for your side. 

It’s important to keep track of what you post on various social media platforms. Always think twice before you post as a single post can do a lot of damage in a family law court. Call us today if you need help with your family law case!

Should Kids Be Involved in Estate Planning for an Elderly Parent?

Posted on by WB Admin

On behalf of The Law Office of Wickersham and Bowers posted in Estate Planning on Thursday, July 16th, 2020

Estate planning is often an uncomfortable topic for many people. Some think that planning their estates means that they are a step closer to the grave. Although it might be an uncomfortable to do, planning your estate can be instrumental in avoiding chaos after you have passed away. 

For the elderly, planning your estate should be a priority. That’s basically so that should anything happen to you; you’ll know that everything is in order. In cases where the parent is quite senior, having the children involved in the estate planning process and this is why:

Someone You Can Trust

People of advanced age are often taken advantage of by unscrupulous people in our society. As a parent gets older, their bodies or mental faculties might start to fail them. To ensure that all your day-to-day finances are taken care of, you will need to appoint a power of attorney. That power of attorney can be given to your child and as such they should be involved in the estate planning. 

In Cases Where There Is a Minor

In cases where the parent is elderly and they have children under the age of 18, a personal guardian should be appointed. To ensure that everything transitions as planned, it’s good to involve the child when making this decision. If something happens to you and the child is left without a parent, leaving that child to someone they know and trust will work out a lot better. As such you might want to speak to the kids about whom they feel most comfortable with. 

In Matters of Finance

When planning your estate, financial matters take up a huge chunk of the planning. Although it’s not a must to keep your children in the loop when it comes to financial matters, it’s always good practice to keep people in the loop concerning the state of things. If your children are adults, you can speak to them about the state of the finances and also let them know what you expect upon your departure. This is usually beneficial to the kids so that they can know what to expect upon your passing. 

All through this period of time, you should always have a trusted lawyer by your side. At Wickersham & Bowers, we ensure that all matters regarding your estate planning are handled professionally and diligently so that everything stays in order. 

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