FAMSEG, the Family Law Section
Email Group |
September
2010 |
Florida Bar Midyear Meeting Schedule, September 22-23,
2010
By Summer Hall, Program Administrator |
We
are quickly approaching the Florida Bar Midyear Meeting at the Hilton
Orlando (6001 Destination Parkway, Orlando). As a reminder all
committees will meet on Wednesday, September 22, 2010 and the Executive
Council Meeting will be held on Thursday, September 23, 2010 . Below
you will find the link with the updated meeting schedule.
If you have supplemental materials and did not submit by
the deadline of September 15th, please bring your handouts along with
you to the meeting and have copies for all Executive Council members.
Also attached is the committee information packet.
Please print out and bring with you to your meetings. Please fax
or email all forms to me after the conclusion of your meeting. If you
would like agendas, minutes or any other items posted on your committee
page of the Family Law Section website, please email me all
documents. Allow 24 hours for items to post. |
|
 Well
the Summer has come to an end, school has started, Fall is fast
approaching, and the business of the Family Law Section begins in
earnest starting with Mid-Year Meetings at the Hilton Hotel,
6001 Destination Parkway, Orlando, Florida 32818 with the first
regular live Meetings of this 2010 - 2011 Bar cycle. The
Section's Mid-Year Meetings are scheduled to occur on Wednesday,
September 22nd, 2010 and the Executive Council Meeting on Thursday, September 23rd, 2010. Our Standing
Committees and Ad Hoc Committees have been working throughout the
Summer in preparation for these Meetings. If you are not
already involved in Section work, we encourage you to consider
getting involved by attending the Mid-Year Meeting and/or Executive
Council Meeting. You can access the Meeting
schedule on the Section's website at www.familylawfla.org.
The Section's In-State Retreat titled "PASSPORT TO PARADISE"
will occur September 30th, 2010 through October 2nd, 2010 at the
classic, elegant Casa Marina Resort, in Key West. We have
sold out our expanded room block although you are still able to
attend if you are willing to pay the regular hotel rate.
However, If you are unable to attend, you may well
want to consider attending the excellent telephonic seminar
"NAVIGATING THE PERFECT STORM: LEGAL MALPRACTICE IN FAMILY
LAW" on Friday, October 1st, 2010 from 9:35 a.m. -
12:00 p.m. The seminar topic is out of the ordinary.
Learn how to protect yourself from falling victim to a
malpractice claim from CRAIG HUDSON, ESQUIRE, a malpractice
defense attorney who will teach us about risk avoidance for family
law attorneys; discuss malpractice generally; address the failure of
family law attorneys to document advice in writing; the problems
arising from family law attorneys acting outside the scope of their
expertise; prenuptial agreements; the risks of consultation; and
better practices.
BLAIR CAMPBELL, a professional
liability insurance agent will discuss malpractice insurance market
conditions; malpractice policy terms; what is "pitch" and
what is important in malpractice insurance coverage; how to complete
an application to trigger lower premiums; specific market conditions
for family law attorneys; and how to process claim information,
including how and when o make a claim; risk management practices.
This edition of FAMSEG inaugurates a new regular feature spotlighting
the on-going work of the Section's Standing Committees and Ad
Hoc Committee. SHEENA BENJAMIN-WISE, Co-Chair of the
Section's RULES AND FORMS COMMITTEE has authored an article
describing the important work of that COMMITTEE that I
recommend you read.
Brand new Executive Council member, ABIGAIL BEEBE, an attorney
with the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, Inc. discusses her
experiences as balancing her roles as Wife, Mother and Attorney in
her article "ACHIEVING BALANCE IN LIFE."
Looking forward to seeing you during the Mid-Year
Meeting in Orlando, Florida and/or at the Casa Marina Resort in
Key West, Florida.
Until then, stay safe, healthy and happy,
DIANE M. KIRIGIN, CHAIR
FAMILY LAW SECTION
THE FLORIDA BAR
|
2010 Family Law Fall Retreat
Casa Marina Resort, Key West, FL |
Passport
to Paradise!
Thursday, September 30, 2010 through Saturday, October
2, 2010
Thursday is check-in followed a welcome reception on a Sunset
Catamaran Cruise.
Friday join us as we start, "Navigating the Perfect Storm: Legal
Malpractice in Family Law, Course No. 1122R".
Saturday, Arrr, callin' all mates on deck we be ha'in' a Key West
Scavenger Hunt, a Yo Ho Ho Farewell Party & "Pirates in
Paradise" Dinner.
Registration form and informational schedule of events
at the "Passport to Paradise" can be
downloaded here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Navigating the Perfect Storm: Legal Malpractice in
Family Law
Telephonic Seminar: Friday, October 1, 2010
9:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Click
to download registration form.
|
Achieving Balance in Life
By Abigail Beebe, Esq., West Palm Beach, Florida |
 Although
there is no perfect balance for working and raising a family, all
while trying to make your marriage work, I believe there a few things
that helped me create a reasonable sense of balance. I believe
the unavoidable is that there is constantly a feeling of guilt.
A feeling that when you're at work, you should be with your
kids and when you're with your kids you feel like you should be
working!
In 2008 my son, Hampton, was born. I had only
been practicing for two years and it was very important for me to go
back to work after his birth. My husband and I really tried to
come up with the best plan for us. I knew immediately upon finding
out that we were pregnant that I did not want to be a full time stay
at home mom.
Working at all and raising children is a challenge.
Even the simplest task, like making dinner, after a long day at
work and making lunches, drop offs, pick ups, can seem like an
insurmountable undertaking. My husband and I really had to take
on many more "jobs" than we had before.
Our family has grown once again and now as a mother of
two, on maternity leave right now, I know I will continue practicing
law in a few more months and my husband and I will both adjust to
make this a reality for our family.
There are so many challenges to being a working mom.
I realized that time away refreshed me. I am excited to
come home at the end of the day and look forward to weekends with my
family.
Being a lawyer at legal aid makes being a working
mother much more manageable than working in the private sector.
Our office is very family friendly. The policies are
liberal and the entire office understands family issues.
Coverage is rarely an issue, assistance is always an email away
and the management is very supportive of young lawyers starting
families.
Both my husband and I, being professionals, are busy.
We both have lives aside from our work and children and both of
us have adapted to the tag team approach of parenting. We give
each other the opportunity to see friends, play golf, get a pedicure
and have a break. As a couple, we always have dinner together,
without kids, once a week.
Here are a few of the things that helped keep my
family sane. Being organized was a huge help. I always
had everything pre-prepared. A plan for each day. Back up
help for early morning hearings and a plan for every scenario that arose.
Also, trying to work with my husband, not against him. Trying
to give him plenty of notice for days when I would need his help with
pick ups, drop offs or out of town travel. It takes a lot of
planning to make these things happen when you have a trial or early morning
evidentiary hearing or a meeting that requires overnight travel.
It was important for me to always plan for him as well as for
myself. If he had a meeting or a dinner, I would make sure my
parents were available to help or our babysitter and all of that was
scheduled and organized well in advance.
I always tried to stay ahead of the game. I
prepared lunches, clothes and my work stuff at night before I went to
bed so the mornings were less stressful trying to get out the door. I
used the weekends to make food for my son and try to get a head start
on the week before it began.
Another thing I tried to do was stay focused while at work. Trying
not to get side tracked by the things that you used to let bother you
at work and that would take up your time. Staying focused on what I
was doing, while I was there. This allowed me to avoid taking work
home with me, so my evenings were free for family.
For sanity, I would have help a few days a week so I
could find time to make it to the gym, grocery store or other errands
alone!
There is a lot of planning, preparation and
coordination to make it all work, but working was important to me and
I plan to continue working. I believe that the time I spend
away makes me a better mom when I come home. I feel refreshed
and ready to go play and I know that being a lawyer and a mom is the
best of both worlds for me and my family.
|
Stephens' Squibs - Family Law Case Updates
By Eddie Stephens |
Click here to read a summary of
Florida Marital and family law case updates from August, 2010.
Squib of the Month:
Hahn v. Hahn, 2010 Fla.App. Lexis 12723 (Fla. 4th DCA 2010).
Trial court reversed for applying 2008 amendments to section
61.13 to modify visitation and child support. A statue is not
operative as law until the date in which it takes effect, and
operates prospectively unless the intent that it operate
retrospectively is clearly expressed. The inclusion of the
October 1, 2008 effective date for the amendments also rebuts any
argument that retroactivity was intended. 50/5o timesharing is
NOT a presumption in new parenting statute
|
What The Family Law Section Rules And Forms Committee
Has In Store For You
By Sheena Benjamin-Wise, Boca Raton, Florida |
 The
members of the Rules and Forms Committee are a group of dedicated
individuals who work side by side to help establish and improve the
rules and forms that impact both lawyers and litigants in all areas
of family law.
The members of Rules and Forms work on various
sub-committees to identify and determine the necessary rules and/or
forms to support the diversity of a family law practice. Some of the
exciting projects the committee is handling include the creation of
Guardian Ad Litem Report and Social Investigation forms. A
sub-committee is currently busy developing a Child Support Ledger
form to support the Clerks of Courts to track outstanding child
support payments and arrears when one or both litigants relocate to a
different venue. The hope is that this new form will streamline child
support information between Clerk of Courts and the Judiciary across
the State. Some of the other projects include improved forms
for Parental Relocation with Minor Children; Administrative Child
Support proceedings along with new Income Deduction Order forms and
Child Support Worksheets.
The Committee is also working on establishing rules,
procedures and forms for proposed legislation for the return of
firearms and ammunition after the dismissal of a Restraining Order in
Domestic Violence actions.
We invite you to participate on this busy Committee to
create and revise the rules and forms that support our dynamic area
of practice.
|
Wanted: Your Submissions
Articles |
 Have
you just finished a case or appeal where you had to become
well-versed in a particular family-law issue? Well, how about
sharing your genius with the rest of us?!
We are accepting submissions for upcoming issues of The Florida Bar
Journal, The Family Law Commentator, and even FAMSEG.
The Journal
To be considered for publication in The Florida Bar
Journal, the article should be scholarly and relate in some manner to
family law. It should be twelve to fifteen pages in length,
complete with endnotes.
Contact co-editor: Sarah Sullivan at ssullivan@fcsl.edu Or co-editor: Amy Hamlin at ahamlin@helpisontheway.cc
The Commentator
Commentator articles are theme-specific. Upcoming
theme issues include:
Summer '10 -- Children's Issues
Further on will be issues related to Tax Issues, Hot Tips, Alimony,
and Agreements.
Send your Commentator submissions to Laura Davis Smith to lds@greenesmithlaw.com.
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