South Central Legal Blog | Pilka & Associates, P.A.

Social media can have a negative impact on your divorce

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in high-asset divorce on Wednesday, May 15, 2019.

One of the things you have to think about as you go through a divorce is the potential for your social media accounts to be used against you. Social media continues to influence people every day, and it can expose you to unnecessary risks during a divorce.

Prior to a divorce, it's been shown by at least one study that using social media has a negative correlation with marriage quality and happiness. Why? When people focus more on the lives of others and don't spend time on their own relationships, they struggle to maintain them.

Children should be involved in divorce discussions: Here's why

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in family law on Thursday, May 9, 2019.

Children often have a difficult time understanding why their parents no longer want to be together. In some cases, they may believe that it's their fault that their parents argue or don't want to be in a relationship any longer, especially if the child has problems in school or problematic behaviors.

Many parents don't consider that their children are blaming themselves, but lots of kids do. As a result, they may be sad, depressed or anxious when around their parents. They may have sudden changes in behavior or other odd reactions that leave their parents wondering what's suddenly causing so much of a change.

What should you do when fighting with a homeowner's association?

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in Condominium on Thursday, May 2, 2019.

If you live in an area that is governed by a homeowners association (HOA), there is a risk that you could become involved in a dispute. Disputes can happen for many reasons ranging from decorating your property incorrectly to painting your home the wrong color.

When you live in a neighborhood that has an HOA, there are bound to be disputes. One common dispute occurs when the money the HOA has in reserves gets too low. If it falls below the amount needed for unexpected expenses, the HOA may raise its monthly dues, putting more pressure on homeowners. This could lead to homeowners believing that the HOA misused funds, leading to the shortage.

Start with a basic estate plan to plan for your beneficiaries

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in estate planning on Friday, April 26, 2019.

As someone who is just starting to plan for retirement and older age, you may know that it's time to start your estate planning process, too. The basics of estate planning are relatively simple: Get a will, decide if you want to have a trust, and decide on who you want to be responsible for your estate and health care if you can't make your own decisions.

Your estate plan should include your last will and testament as well as information on your assets. It's important to work with your attorney to set up your will, because you'll need to understand your state laws and how they apply to your estate.

How can you improve communication following divorce?

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in family law on Friday, April 19, 2019.

If you and your ex-spouse have children together, one of the things you may be interested in doing is improving communication. It was one thing to have breakdowns in communication when you lived together, but without that connection, you know it's important to get your communication channels working correctly.

Ex-spouses don't always get along, but improving communication is still possible. Here are three tips that can help.

High-value divorces can harm children's educational careers

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in high-asset divorce on Tuesday, April 9, 2019.

In an interesting article from March 28, it is detailed that children who have parents who divorce have lower educational prospects than those in two-parent households. That's not the whole story, though. A study from the University of California, Los Angeles, shows that divorce doesn't affect all kids in the same way.

According to this study, it's actually children from more stable families who are more likely to have a shortened academic career following the divorce of their parents than those who were in families already struggling to get by. Essentially, the educational attainment of certain children is reduced after divorce, but only in cases where the divorce was unlikely. Since the divorce is more disruptive for some families, it's more likely to affect those children.

Kids of all ages deserve help getting through divorce

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. on Monday, April 8, 2019.

When you have children and are going through a divorce in Florida, nothing can be more difficult than having to discuss the changes with them. Depending on the ages of your children, they may not understand why you're choosing to go through a divorce. They may not be able to understand your side of things compared to what they see in their everyday life, especially if you and your spouse have been hiding your issues from your kids.

Your situation isn't unusual for families throughout the country. There are many parents who go through the same struggles as you are. Fortunately, since so many people have struggled with helping their children through divorce, there is a lot of helpful information available.

Who pays for damage when you're in a homeowners association?

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in Condominium on Thursday, April 4, 2019.

There will likely come a time when your condo is vacant. Perhaps you'll be traveling for work, or you plan to go away for a month on vacation. Whatever the reason is, if your condo is going to be vacant, you should understand what happens if there is damage caused to your home.

In homeowners associations (HOAs), there are usually certain repairs that are the responsibility of the HOA, while homeowners are responsible for others. In general, the HOA pays the bills for repairs to the outside of buildings. Some will pay for roofing, others will pay for pipelines. Items inside the home, such as your personal belongings, usually fall under your own insurance policy.

What kinds of marriages are illegal in Florida?

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in family law on Wednesday, March 27, 2019.

There are certain times when marriages are not legal in the state of Florida. For example, did you know that you are not able to marry if you are closely related to the person you want to be with? There is no legal marriage that can take place between people who are related by lineal consanguinity. That means sisters, brothers, uncles, nephews, nieces, and aunts are unable to marry one another if they are of the same bloodline.

Other marriages that are not allowed include common law marriages (after 1967) and bigamous marriages, which are felonious. If you are in a prohibited marriage, the marriage can be annulled, and you will not have to seek a divorce.

Fighting the homeowner's association? Dispute resolution helps

On behalf of Lynne Wadsworth of Pilka & Associates, P.A. posted in Condominium on Monday, March 18, 2019.

It's never a good time when you have to fight with the homeowners association (HOA) about something you want to do to your property. Nevertheless, there are rules in place in HOAs that residents have to live by.

Sometimes, those rules or regulations are unfair or disputes arise over factors that aren't specifically discussed in the HOA's terms. In those cases, a dispute-resolution meeting is important.