Fort Myers Legal Issues Blog

Recently on this blog we discussed how marital homes can be dealt with during the divorce process. Dividing assets like the marital home can be challenging given the value and the emotions attached to them. Yet, an individual cannot let sadness or anger blur their vision when it comes to property division. If they do, then they may wind up on the losing end of an agreement, which can set them on poor financial footing when they start their post-divorce life.

Those who are dealing with a business during property division may want to be especially diligent in their efforts to achieve fairness, whatever that may look like under the circumstances at hand. The first step in handling a business in divorce is to consider whether it should be subjected to property division at all. If the business was started or acquired prior to a marriage with an individual's own funds, then it may be considered separate property that is exempted from divorce proceedings.

There are many legalities that must be addressed during the divorce process. Child custody, child support and alimony often take a lot of attention, but the outcome of property division can be crucial to one's financial position post-divorce. Although Florida recognizes equitable division of marital property, this does not mean that marital property has to be divided equally. This gives the parties to a divorce some flexibility to negotiate a settlement that fits their particular needs.

One of the biggest and most important assets that must be dealt with during the property division process is the marital home. While the marital home may hold a considerable amount of financial value, it can also possess a certain amount of sentimental value, too, which can make it hard for individuals to give up in a divorce.

In many cases, charges related to drug offenses are only brought against an individual after a prolonged investigation. Therefore, the authorities and prosecutors often believe that they have ample evidence to obtain a conviction. While this may be true in some instances, it is not always the case. In fact, sometimes police officers overstep their bounds and conduct illegal search and seizures, or they base their investigations on the word of witnesses who lack credibility. Even when the evidence seems stacked against an accused individual, strong criminal defense options may be available.

A number of Floridians may need to carefully consider those options now after the culmination of a three-month long investigation called Operation Triple Beam. According to reports, the Fort Myers Police Department cooperated with the U.S. Marshals Service, the Lee County Sheriff's Office, and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to initiate well over 100 local arrests for drug crimes and weapons offenses. Apparently, as many as 90% of those arrests occurred in the Fort Myers area.

One of the most common concerns people have when going through a divorce is what will happen to their personal property. It's frustrating to face the possibility that you could lose the things you worked hard for. You will find it beneficial to learn more about how property division works and how you can protect your future interests.

Marital property includes all of the things a couple accumulated over the course of the marriage. This includes real estate, retirement savings and more. All marital property is eligible for division between the two parties in a divorce, but separate property is not. Separate property includes certain things you owned before marriage or things to which your spouse does not have a rightful claim.