31 August

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What are the Tax Consequences of Alimony in Florida?

Effective January 1, 2019, alimony will no longer be tax deductible to the person paying the alimony and taxable as income to the recipient. The individual paying alimony will no longer receive an off the top deduction. Alimony will become much more expensive for the individual that is required to pay the alimony. However, alimony will no longer be counted as income to the spouse that is receiving the alimony. The new alimony tax laws only apply to divorce finalized after January 1, 2019. The bill is not retroactive and will not impact current alimony agreements. Read more about the...

14 May

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Can Social Media be used as Evidence in Florida Courts

Posted by DeWitt Law Firm, P.A.

in Divorce, Florida Law, General Legal Advice, Personal Injury

What does this mean in terms of your social media posts or posts that you are tagged in or mentioned in? Social media posts could potentially be used in dissolution of marriages, family law cases, civil cases, personal injury cases, auto accident cases, and criminal cases. ...

04 April

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What to do with a House during a Divorce in Florida

Posted by DeWitt Law Firm, P.A.

in Divorce, Family Law, Florida Law, Real Estate Law

In a divorce, the parties will need to decide whether to sell or keep the marital home. While some parties become very attached to the marital home or wish to keep the marital home for the stability of the children, others approach the marital home as a pure financial decision. When determining what to do with the marital home, there are essentially three options....

09 March

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7 Things To Do After Your Divorce

Posted by DeWitt Law Firm, P.A.

in Divorce, Family Law

After a divorce is finalized, the hardest part of the case is typically over. However, there are still some housekeeping matters that need to be completed to allow for a seamless transition to your post-divorce life. 1. Get a Certified Copy of the Divorce Decree After the divorce is finalized, you will at some point in the future need a certified copy of the divorce decree. It may be required when purchasing a home, traveling out of the country, getting a passport, or during some other life event. It is advisable to purchase a certified copy of the divorce decree shortly after...

08 February

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New Tax Bill Eliminates Alimony Deduction in Divorces in 2019

Posted by DeWitt Law Firm, P.A.

in Alimony, Divorce, Family Law

alimony deduction tax bill 209 dewitt law firm

As of January 1, 2019, the alimony tax deduction will cease to exist. This means that alimony paid by a spouse will no longer be tax deductible. Further, the spouse receiving alimony will no longer claim it as income. Currently, alimony is tax deductible to the paying spouse and taxed as income to the receiving spouse. The new law will not take place until January 1, 2019, giving couples that desire to get divorced time to file before the new tax law takes effect. However, the spouse requesting alimony may have significant incentive to delay the divorce in order to...

18 August

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How to Minimize Your Alimony Obligation in a Divorce

Posted by DeWitt Law Firm, P.A.

in Divorce, Family Law

Alimony in Florida is based upon need and ability to pay. In other words, the court must determine (1) if the spouse requesting alimony has a need and (2) if the spouse paying alimony has the ability to do so. Need is determined by looking at the standard of living during the marriage and the financial resources available to each party, along with other relevant factors. A court usually does this by reviewing the financial affidavits and hearing testimony of the parties. However, the court must evaluate all sources of income available to the parties when evaluating whether alimony is...