The subject of the interview was current alimony reforms in the state of Florida.

Learn more about these potential changes here.

We recognize the commitment and sacrifices enlisted men and women make to and for our country every day.  These are not to be taken lightly.  Attorney Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm harbor a deep respect for this dedication and would like to give back to our troops by ensuring price does not prevent them from possessing experienced legal representation.

People with active military I.D.’s will now receive discounts throughout the length of their case.  If it is a divorce, child support, alimony, or other family law military case the Men’s Divorce Law Firm has the skills to aggressively represent our troops.

If you or someone you know is enlisted and in need of assistance with a family law matter contact the Men’s Divorce Law Firm today to see how we can help.

The holidays can be an emotionally charged time, adding the additional financial and emotional strain that comes with them while seeking a divorce, modification of a final judgement, paternity action, custody modification, and more, can make things overwhelming.

At the Men’s Divorce Law Firm we understand these troubles, and we also want to help you have as smooth and happy a holiday as possible.  No matter what your case, big or small, we would like to extend free consultations to those interested in the month of December.

If you are in a situation where you have rights to a child that are being denied this holiday, are in a marriage that you need to dissolve, or have another situation which demands legal attention, don’t wait!  Take advantage of our holiday offer today by contacting Attorney Jeffrey Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm.

We hope you have a safe and wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

The awards are in their ninth year and they recognize top businessmen who show both excellence in their field and dedication to the local community.  Twelve of the region’s leading businessmen are recognized in each of the following categories:

• Architecture & Engineering
• Banking & Finance
• Education
• Health Care
• Legal
• Minority Business
• Nonprofit
• Professional Services
• Real Estate
• Sports Business
• Technology
• Tourism/Hospitality

Along with these awards the top 10 “Men to Watch” and the 2010 Legacy Award Recipient will be recognized.

Contact Attorney Feulner and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm today with your Family Law needs.

Pick up your copy today to read his feature and the other exciting contents of Orlando Style Magazine!

The final launch of Atlantis marked the end of the Space Shuttle program for America. But, for thousands of residents of the Space Coast of Central Florida it also marked the end of, in some cases, decades of employment.  Those who also happened to be divorced may now face another burden: alimony.

See what he had to say about this here:

To be selected for this award companies submit an application which includes a series of questions that illuminate the family benefits and work environment of the company.  These applications are then split into two categories: companies with 249 employees or less, and companies with 250 employees or more.  They are then assessed on a point scale and the top 50 companies in each category form the overall top 100 companies.

The Men’s Divorce Law Firm was present at the awards luncheon this past Friday the 5th at the Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Studios, Orlando.

It was an honor to be recognized among the other outstanding companies in the community and we look forward to continued service to our clients, our community, and our employees in the years to come.

“In every corner of the country — California, Massachusetts, Florida — spousal support is in the news. These last two weeks have been a crash course in what we talk about when we talk about alimony.

The legal theory here is that spousal support should not be tied entirely to “need.” The ex is entitled, the thinking goes, to money for time served and investments (emotional, financial) made.  It is a serious issue of who deserves alimony/spousal support, what for, and for how long. Most states have already answered these questions. In Texas, alimony lasts for three years in a marriage that’s ten years or longer; in New York, alimony is intended to help the lower earner become self-sufficient ASAP, though exceptions are made when large fortunes are involved. In Rhode Island, alimony is rare; even victims of domestic violence are not automatically entitled. In most other states, alimony, when there is any, usually has a time limit determined by the couple, amicably, or by a judge, less amicably.

By contrast, under the long-standing Massachusetts law there is no way for a judge to set a time limit on alimony. As a result, the state has become littered with men (97 percent of payers are men) paying lifetime alimony to women who are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, and who may be highly educated, highly skilled, who may have worked throughout their marriages for high wages, and may be working still. There are cases of women who, after dividing millions in marital assets, are making $100K-plus in their jobs and receiving lifetime alimony from an ex who makes $150K plus. The payments don’t end at retirement, only at the recipient’s remarriage or death. And few remarry because the money supply will end. And there are cases of men in their 70s and 80s — some in nursing homes with dementia — paying alimony from Social Security checks while their “new wives” of many decades must chose between paying the alimony and buying prescription drugs.

Down south, in the retirement capital of the country, the news is grim. A grassroots organization, Florida Alimony Reform, just released a chilling report, “The Shame of Florida: Alimony Horror Stories from the Sunshine State,”, detailing 33 stories of financial and emotional abuse created by current laws, which have much in common with the Massachusetts laws just voted out.

Far from painting Florida as a dreamy retirement spot, the message seems to be: If you’re male, stay as far from this place as you can, lest you too become a victim of alimony payments without end and of courts where gender bias runs deeper than common sense and simple justice. Divorce is a no-fault proposition – but alimony is often forever, even when the recipient works, cohabits with another partner for years, and starts collecting in her 30s.

As in Massachusetts, men in their 70s, living on Social Security, are paying lifetime alimony to women who received more than half the marital assets and have pensions and Social Security of their own. Men in their 40s and 50s are told by judges that their combined alimony and child support payments will “impoverish” them, but the judgments are ordered–and impoverishment follows–despite a recent amendment that prohibits impoverishing an alimony payer.

The gender bias is so extreme and so obvious that some lawyers market themselves as only serving one sex or the other. Orlando attorney Jeffrey Feulner runs the firm he calls Men’s Divorce. He chose to limit his practice because “I saw the need for someone to champion the cause of husbands and fathers,” he explains. “There’s the appearance of bias in how men have been treated in court cases.” He points out the benefits of not involving the state in a committed relationship, while noting that the Florida legislature recently amended alimony laws in several positive ways for his client base. He hopes Florida legislators will continue to fine tune the statute and “add some things that are now part of Massachusetts law.”

Judges can now limit alimony if they chose–though they can still award permanent alimony for short-or medium-length marriages. And new law prohibits, at least on paper, an alimony recipient from having more money than an alimony payer–something that common sense or simple justice did not take care of in the past. But no one with judgments entered before these changes has the right to correct the abuses inflicted on them.

Welfare recipients are given several years to get on their feet, but the same is rarely expected ever of able-bodied, educated ex-spouses in Florida. The Sunshine State needs to follow Massachusetts into the 21st century, pronto. In the meantime, slather on the sunscreen– and stay out of those shark-infested waters.”

– By Elizabeth Benedict — Read Full Article

Contact Orlando Lawyer Jeffrey Feulner, featured in this article, and the Men’s Divorce Law Firm today.

A summary of the new changes to Florida alimony law:

• If a court awards permanent alimony in a short-term marriage (a marriage under 7 years long), there must be documented exceptional circumstances.
• An award of permanent alimony for a moderate-term marriage (between 7 and 17 years) must be supported by “clear and convincing evidence.”
• Before a judge awards permanent alimony, there must be a stated justification that no other form of alimony (short term alimony) would be fair and reasonable.
• An award of alimony must not leave the person paying the alimony with significantly less income than the person receiving the alimony – unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Definitions:

Exceptional circumstances:

Facts that go far beyond a normal, everyday situation. But remember, the everyday situations in many divorce cases are already pretty extreme. For example, a spouse that becomes completely disabled during the marriage from an accident or disease may qualify as an exceptional circumstance. Or if the other spouse does something wrong or vengeful that permanently damages the other spouse’s career; that may qualify as an exceptional circumstance. Anything like the examples mentioned may be adequate reasons for a court to give a spouse permanent alimony after a short-term marriage. But remember, the shorter the marriage, the more extreme the facts must be. A two year long marriage would not qualify for permanent alimony unless something absolutely horrible happened during that prior two years.

Clear and Convincing Evidence:

Fact must be really obvious and clear to meet this standard that is now required for permanent alimony in a medium length marriage (between 7 and 17 years). Normal divorce court decisions must be supported by the “more likely than not” standard for evidence and faces. But the new alimony statute requires evidence at the level of “no-brainer.” In other words, the court must see evidence that almost speaks for itself.

Significantly Less Income:

No one knows what that phrase means. But you can be sure it will be fought out in every family law court in Florida.

The new 2011 alimony law for Florida applies to all new orders signed by the courts after July 1, 2011. It also applies to any alimony judgments modified after July 1, 2011. Also included are any pending cases as of that date. One interesting thing to note: you cannot modify an old alimony award if nothing else has changed other than the alimony statute.

Comments on the new 2011 Florida Alimony Law:

A principle that may alimony attorneys are aware of is that a judge will usually decide what they want to do, and then figure out how to support that decision with legally supportable reasoning. . If a judge needs “exceptional circumstances,” all they have to do is look in the facts of the case and pick anything that reasonably qualifies. So the new alimony law will have minimal immediate effect on family law trial court decisions.

Over time, appellate courts will reverse some trial court decisions that do not conform to the new law. That will eventually have the effect of guiding trial court judges on how to apply the new alimony statute. Like all new laws, it takes years for the effect to be seen in ongoing cases. So the moral of the story: do not look for immediate, radical changes in the outcome of cases. Make sure your attorney knows the new alimony law and plans to use it to your advantage.

If you need help with your alimony matters contact Jeffrey Feulner and the Orlando Family Law Firm the Men’s Divorce Law Firm today.

The real challenge lies in not what you can recreate with all those leftovers, but how you can recreate it while maintaining a healthy diet.  Your personal trainer most likely allots a 24-hour break from your normal diet but here are some recipe ideas and 10 low fat ways to use your leftovers and still remain conscientious about your waistline. 

For breakfast, shoot for 300 to 350 calories.
For me, this means having a piece of leftover pumpkin pie and a cup of coffee with plenty of nonfat milk. (Why? Pumpkin pie is one of my favorite treats and if I don’t have it for breakfast, I’m going to eat it later, adding an extra 300 calories to my day.) Plus, pumpkin pie isn’t the worst thing in the world to eat: it has a little bit of fiber and more than 100% of your recommended daily value for vitamin A. But if you think having another piece of pie will launch you into full-blown holiday-eating mode, opt for something more ordinary, like an English muffin with some peanut butter and an orange or a bowl of oatmeal with raisins. The key is to start your day feeling satisfied.

At lunchtime, shoot for 325 to 400 calories.
Make yourself a big green salad and top it with leftover turkey and maybe even some green beans and whatever is remaining of the veggie platter. Toss with a few tablespoons of a lower-calorie dressing and have a small whole-grain roll.

For dinner, stick with 500 calories.
Enjoy that leftover turkey in Crispy Turkey Tostadas (397 calories; 15 g fat)—which leaves room for a half cup of black beans or a glass of wine on the side.

 10 low fat ways to use your leftovers

1. Soups Add 2 cups of chopped leftover turkey, a selection of chopped vegetables and 1 cup of uncooked rice or noodles to 3 cans fat-free, low sodium chicken broth.
2. Salads Add leftover turkey to a mix of arugula and spinach, sliced mushrooms, cranberries, shredded carrots, sliced red onions and a sprinkling of heart-healthy walnuts. Toss with your favorite low fat or fat free fruity dressing or vinaigrette.
3. Sandwiches and Wraps Use slices of leftover turkey to make all kinds of sandwiches. Be sure to use whole grain breads and rolls, and low fat or fat free fillings. If you don’t like the taste of fat-free mayo, use mustard instead, or flavor your mayo with a little curry powder or another herb or spice. Make a turkey-salad filling with crunchy celery, cranberries and apple. Use plain low fat yogurt for the dressing. Stuff into a whole wheat pita or spoon into the center of a whole wheat tortilla wrap and roll up.
4. Pizza Toppings Top a prepared whole wheat crust with 1/2 cup of tomato or barbecue sauce, 1 cup of chopped turkey and 1/2 cup reduced fat cheese. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees.
5. Quesadillas Combine shredded turkey with a little cumin. Spoon on one half of a low fat corn tortilla; sprinkle with reduced fat cheese; fold tortilla in half and cook in a nonstick skillet (coated with cooking spray) for 5 minutes, turning once.
6. Burritos, Enchiladas, Fajitas, and Tacos Add shredded turkey to salsa, black beans, low fat sour cream and reduced fat cheese; or combine with sautéed onions and sweet peppers; with shredded lettuce and chopped tomatoes; or mix with mild green chiles, seasonings, scallions and a can of enchilada sauce. Use low fat flour or corn wraps with these fillings.
7. Pot pies Add leftover turkey, sliced mushrooms and leftover green beans and carrots to low fat, reduced sodium condensed chicken or mushroom soup. Top with a low fat biscuit topping (there’s now a low fat version of Bisquick) or phyllo pastry sheets.
8. Casseroles Combine 2 cups chopped leftover turkey with 2 cups cooked whole grain rice, a can fat-free, low sodium broth or chopped tomatoes, and a selection of chopped vegetables in a 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
9. Skillet Meals Add 1 1/2 cups of chopped leftover turkey to sautéed onion, mushrooms, broccoli and rice cooked in fat-free broth. Sprinkle some parmesan before serving.
10.  Pasta dishes Add leftover turkey to your any number of pasta dishes. Use shredded turkey instead of ground beef in your favorite lasagna recipe. Be sure to use reduced fat cheeses.

Finally, don’t forget the carcass: put it in a big pot of water along with some onion, carrots, celery, peppercorns and herbs; bring it to a boil, then simmer. After a couple of hours, you’ll have a rich stock, which you can de-fat and use for low fat soups, stews and gravies throughout the holiday season.