Sarasota Family Law Attorney
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941-241-2453Contact Michael
Online formMost people prefer to handle family decisions behind closed doors, but that isn’t always possible. You may need to get the Florida courts involved.
There are a lot of obstacles to navigate in the family court system, so we recommend enlisting an experienced family law attorney in Sarasota.
He’s well-versed in family law and ready to help. He can guide you through the process step-by-step toward the most desired outcome.
Most family law matters come with a great deal of stress. You need more than a capable lawyer. By working with Michael and 941 Law Help, you have a compassionate, understanding family law attorney who can help you through a difficult time.
Michael helped a client, the respondent, in their long-term marriage divorce case. Michael minimized his client’s exposure to permanent alimony and temporary support payments.
Michael worked with the respondent in a divorce case. The marriage was of medium length, and Michael was able to limit the support and alimony obligations his client would have to pay. He also helped the client completely retain their retirement accounts.
Read More ResultsUnderstanding family law can be challenging, especially if you’ve never dealt with the legal system before. As a Sarasota, FL, family lawyer, Michael handles all matters and will help you with your case from the beginning to the end.
He has experience helping clients with:
Legally ending your marriage can be a complex process, even if there are no shared children or property in the mix. Work with an attorney who can help you navigate the hard decisions, like property distribution, alimony, child custody, and child support.
You may pursue a simplified divorce or an uncontested divorce. There are also collaborative, contested, or military divorces. Michael is well-versed in Florida divorce laws and will help you win fair results.
As co-parents who don’t live together, you need a parenting plan, whether you’re getting divorced or have never been married. Michael can help you create a child custody plan that works for your family through mediation, or he can help you pursue an arrangement in court.
Florida law favors having both parents active in their children’s lives. The courts will push for equal access to any shared children. Michael will fight for you to get the custody that you want and deserve.
Child support is a separate issue from custody. Both parents are legally obligated to support their children financially. Michael can help you calculate child support based on Florida’s guidelines if you’re going through a divorce or are unmarried co-parents.
Child custody and child support often change over time. Your children’s needs and your circumstances evolve. If you need to pursue custody or support modification, talk with Michael about negotiating these changes with your co-parent or asking a judge to modify the existing order.
You must establish your child’s paternity before confirming child custody and child support. Florida requires a formal process for unmarried couples to establish paternity and for unmarried father’s to get visitation and custody rights. No, being on the birth certificate is not enough for either support or custody in Florida.
If the child’s father acknowledges paternity, then process is easier than contested, but if there’s any objections, then paternity must be proven in court through genetic testing.
Generally, grandparents don’t have a right to visitation. But Florida allows visitation in certain circumstances when both parents are unavailable. It’s challenging to get visitation as a grandparent, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Talk with Michael about the law and your options.
If you’ve been harmed, harassed, or stalked by a romantic partner, family member, or stranger, or you are being accused of doing so, talk with Michael about pursuing an injunction for protection against domestic violence (also called filing a restraining order) or defending against the case.
There are ways to protest yourself and your children.
Adoptions are a happy event in a family’s life, but they can be complicated. Turning to an experienced family law attorney to sort the Florida adoption details can simplify the process. Michael is here to help you through the legal process of expanding your family, whether you’re adopting a child in Florida or out of state.
It’s common for long-time stepparents to want to adopt their stepchildren. But if the children’s other parent is living, a stepparent must either obtain the co-parent’s permission or terminate their parental rights. Talk with a Sarasota family law attorney about the stepparent adoption process.
When a child’s parents are deceased or incapacitated, guardianship gives another adult the power to make decisions and take care of that child. Talk with Michael about how guardianship can help children stay with a loved one even when their parents can’t care for them.
Michael can also help obtain guardianship over an incapacitated or deemed incompetent adult.
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Are you prepared to go through a divorce? Hiring a Sarasota divorce attorney won’t necessarily help with the emotions of ending your marriage. But Michael can help with the practicalities. There’s much to figure out before and during the divorce court process. He’s here to guide you from one step to the next.
During a Florida divorce, Michael will help you, and your spouse resolve numerous issues, including:
These are only a few decisions you'll have to consider during a divorce. Let Michael and 941 Law Help help you deal with all the issues that come up, big or small.
Whether you’re dealing with paternity, divorce, child support modifications, or another family law matter, you should have a knowledgeable lawyer. Working with a Sarasota family lawyer will help you get the best possible results for you and your children.
Call Michael Fayard at (941) 241-2453 or use the online form. The initial consultation is free and comes with no obligations.