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rich@richsmuklermediation.com
Rich Smukler Mediation Provides Remote On-line Notarization to Streamline the Mediation process
In order to make the entire mediation process trouble-free and comfortable, along with video-conferencing with zoom technology, you can book your mediation on-line and experience the entire mediation process without leaving your home. This includes the previously cumbersome task of getting documents signed or notarized. Effective January 1, 2020, the State of Florida revised its […]
FLORIDA SUPREME COURT EXPANDS USE OF REMOTE TECHNOLOGY
Since Covid, our lives have all been altered. The Courts are no exception. It appears that Covid may be here to stay in some form or another, and the Courts are reacting accordingly. As a certified mediator and qualified arbitrator, I have marveled at how the perception of remote hearings has changed, from reluctance to […]
Child Support in Florida
The court will always place the needs of the children first in the scheme of considering divorce. There are so many issues to be considered: Parenting Plans and Co-parenting plans, blended families, Parenting Plans, needs of children, impact on relationships, child abuse, paternity, grand-parents’ rights, just to name a few. Remember that unless you are […]
Do You Know the Six Types of Alimony in Florida?
Many couples believe that alimony is simply a payment made by one spouse to another. In fact, there are typically six types of alimony/spousal support in Florida. However, a couple can create an alimony arrangement during their pre-suit pro-se divorce mediation that does not fit any of these specifics. One of the important factors in mediation […]
Equitable Distribution in Florida: (fair but not necessarily equal).
During your marital mediation, one aspect to be determined is the division of assets, know as equitable distribution. Equitable distribution is the fair, but not necessarily equal, division of all marital property, assets, and debts. This complex concept is discussed in Section 61.075 of the Florida Statutes. the court must begin with the premise that the distribution […]
Florida Doctors are Required to be Financially Responsible for Their Mistakes, Lawyers are not.
Medical Malpractice (also known as Medical Negligence) is quite similar to Legal Malpractice (also known as Legal Negligence). However, unlike doctors, lawyers in the state of Florida have no obligation to maintain malpractice insurance or provide any disclosure to clients that they do not have insurance. It is estimated that approximately forty percent of attorneys […]
Alimony, Taxes and Modification
Is mediation mandatory in Florida divorce? Yes! In the state of Florida, this is a mandatory step to be completed before a judge finalizes a divorce. Mediation is required to give the couple a chance to make decisions on assets, child support, and alimony before the court exercised its authority and decide for them! (the advantages of mediation). […]
Florida Supreme Court Considers Streamlining Civil Cases
As a specialist in the area of alternate dispute resolution , I read with interest comments recently made by Chief Judge Robert Morris. A Judicial Management Council is weighing a proposal to bring sweeping changes to Florida’s civil trial system. At a recent meeting he pointed out the struggle to resolve 2 million cases and […]
Good Faith in Mediation: Fact or Fiction?
At a recent Court ordered mediation I was faced with a challenging set of circumstances. The parties had failed to exchange documents or engage in discovery in a meaningful way. It seemed clear from the onset that this mediation was doomed for failure and end in an impasse. Why proceed any further? It was also […]
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