Members of the firm had a great time for a good cause, as a portion of the proceeds from the event went towards the Susan G. Komen foundation for a cure for breast cancer.  If you attended the event we hope you enjoyed yourself as well.  If not, we hope that you may join us for future charitable events in our community.

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 2005, Martin Gill and his partner became foster parents to two brothers that the Department of Children and Families classified as special needs children.  The two boys, a 4-year-old and a 4-month-old, came to the Gill’s residence with ring worm, bald patches, severe fevers, an untreated ear infection along with other medical problems.  Gill and his partner nurtured them back to health, loved them unconditionally and began to receive their trust as caregivers.

As the years passed, Gill began to realize that this placement was not going to be temporary and embraced the thought that he could fight Florida’s 33-year-old ban on gay adoption.  He turned to the American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Florida to assist him in achieving such a goal.  In November 2008, a Miami-Dade County family court judge ruled in favor of Martin Gill and his partner, deeming them to be the best parents for the two brothers, then ages 7 and 3.  The State quickly appealed this judgment.

For the past two years, Florida’s 3rd District Court of Appeal in Miami have been deliberating and considering all aspects of the original ruling.  Yesterday, the three-judge panel ruled that the ban on gay adoption was unconstitutional because it singled out gays as unfit parents and fathers stating that there was no evidence to show that gays were less effective parents than heterosexual parents.

According to Orlando Sentinel, Governor Charlie Crist commended the recent decision by the appellate court, “It’s a very good day for Florida. It’s a very good day for children. Children deserve a loving home to be in, and the opportunity for judges to make this call on a case-by-case basis with every adoption I think is wonderful.”

Mat Staver, a leading opponent of gay adoption, did not agree, “Not only would it preclude the child from having a mother or a father, but their view of the opposite sex is skewed,” said Staver, founder of the Maitland-based Liberty Counsel, which challenges gay rights in the courts. “My opinion is the Florida Supreme Court will reverse this decision. If they let it stand, children would ultimately experience long-term negative consequences.”

Likewise, John Stemberger, head of the Orlando-based Florida Family Policy Council, which opposes gay adoption, criticized the decision, “They ruled that two dads are just as good as a mom and a dad. We know that is empirically wrong.”

Civil rights leaders and activists are joining together to celebrate what they consider to be the first victory of many.  Vicki Nantz, an organizer of the One Orlando coalition of gay organizations, Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, a gay civil-rights organization, Florida’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project and various politicians are all optimistic and excited as to what this means for the future of civil rights.

Click here to read the complete article by the Orlando Sentinel.

Fathers, Families, Fairness.

Q: I have been divorced for 25 years, but I recently learned that my ex-husband has been receiving a generous company pension that was never disclosed during our divorce proceedings.
He was a long way from retirement when we divorced, but he had been at this company throughout our 20-year marriage and as a vested participant his pension should have been included as a financial asset. Do I have any legal recourse all these years later?
- J.B.

A: You are entitled to relief from a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage entered by a Florida court where there has been fraud. There is no time limit for filing for relief if the motion is based on a fraudulent financial affidavit filed in a divorce action, which is where a pension should have been disclosed.

It will be important to know if the pension existed at the time of the divorce. But even if his financial affidavit was fraudulent, you should review the entirety of the financial settlement before filing for relief. The portion of the pension you may be entitled to might not be worth the time, effort and cost associated with bringing the legal action.
-Attorney Jeffrey Feulner

To submit your question to a lawyer, e-mail Harry Wessel at harrywessel@gmail.com or write to Ask a Lawyer at 633 N. Orange Ave., Orlando, FL 32801.

Managing Attorney, Jeffrey Feulner, started the Men’s Divorce Law Firm seven years ago.  His 14 employees are all women. He says that didn’t happen by design: When he fills a job he looks for a certain type of person — family-first employees who are eager to volunteer in the community. 

Since the beginning of the year, The Men’s Divorce Law Firm staff has participated in numerous community events.

On July 24, the Men’s Divorce Law Firm proudly sponsored the local philanthropic organization Guys With Ties in their 5^th annual “White Party.”  Guys With Ties raises money for local charities that focus on special needs of the Central Florida community.  This particular event was also sponsored by The Fatone Family Foundation and a total of $10,500 was raised for the organization, My Healing Harmony. 

On June 12, Harbor House of Central Florida hosted the 2010 Princess Ball benefitting their organization.  The event invited fathers to bring their daughters out for a special evening of dining, dancing, and carriage rides.  Harbor House of Central Florida provides safe shelter, a 24-hour crisis hotline, counseling, emotional support, and legal advocacy for domestic violence survivors and their children.  The goal of Harbor House is to eliminate domestic violence by providing safety, shelter, empowerment, and education to victims.  The Men’s Divorce Law Firm was happy to support this event because it not only supported a great cause, but it also encouraged fathers to spend a special night with their daughters.

On April 15, The Men’s Divorce Law Firm participated in the Annual Orlando Corporate 5K.  The race beneficiaries included: Track Shack, a non-profit promoting health, fitness, and youth athletics, and Parramore Kidz Zone, a local program whose mission is to turn Orlando into a healthy place for children.  The event included a Canned Food Drive sponsored by the Christian Service Center. 

On Saturday, March 20, several members of the Men’s Divorce Law Firm participated in the Inland Volleyball Club 5K at Timber Creek High School.  Proceeds from the event went towards players from the Inland Volleyball Club who receive financial assistance for tuition.  This included players who participate in the club, summer camps and clinics. 

Members of the Men’s Divorce Law Firm visited the 51^st Annual Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival on March 19^th.  The festival ran from March 19^th to March 21^st and showcased over 200 artists from a variety of specialties.  The firm was especially excited to see one of this year’s featured emerging artists, Richard Auger.  Richard was the photographer at the firm’s Holiday Hangover Party in January, and the staff enjoyed seeing his other work at the festival.

On March 6, over 800 people (including Men’s Divorce Law Firm staff members) came out to support the community by participating in the 2nd Annual Fiddler’s Green 5K.  The money raised from the event went to Special Olympics Florida and the YMCA Scholarship Fund. 

On March 2, members of the firm were in attendance at Best Buddies latest Central Florida event, which raised money to further the non-profit organization’s current and future projects.  Best Buddies is a non-profit organization dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  The Men’s Divorce Law Firm strongly believes in community service and takes pride in knowing that its support and contributions help to positively affect others. 

On February 20, three staff members from The Men’s Divorce Law Firm participated in the 23^rd Annual Sight and Sole walk benefitting Lighthouse Central Florida.  The organization helps local citizens with impaired vision. Lighthouse invited participants to complete the walk blindfolded to really experience what life is like for the organization’s beneficiaries.  Natalie Ramirez, the firm’s Client Relations Manager, agreed to be blindfolded and was guided by a legal assistant, Jennifer Bunting, through the walk.

On February 19, the Orange County Convention Center opened its doors to greet Central Florida’s Latin community with a special fund raising event, appropriately named Bailamos (Let’s Dance).  The Latin inspired show was sprinkled with many talented local and national dancers such as Katia Garza, Daniel Benavides, Chiaki Yasukawa, Patric Palkens and the nationally acclaimed former Orlando Ballet star, Israel Rodriguez.  The Men’s Divorce Law Firm is a proud sponsor of the arts, especially the Orlando Ballet.  Members of the firm were in attendance and were pleased to have been part of such a unique cultural event.

Managing Attorney, Jeffrey Feulner, and his legal staff are proud to accept such an important title of being one of the top companies to work for in Central Florida.

Question: I have been divorced for 25 years, and my former wife remarried 22 years ago.

In the meantime I have had a long-term relationship with a woman I am considering marrying.

I have heard that as a former spouse my ex-wife could have a claim on my Social Security benefits when I die. If I remarry, who will have rights to those benefits?

-R.M., Orlando

Answer: Whether your former wife would be entitled to Social Security benefits based on your earnings will hinge on a number of factors, including whether your marriage with her lasted more than 10 years. If it did not, she would not be entitled to collect Social Security based on your earnings record.

If the marriage exceeded 10 years, she may qualify for Social Security benefits equal to one-half of your full retirement amount, or slightly less, if — at the time you start receiving your benefits — she is unmarried, 62 years or older and is not eligible for an equal or higher benefit on her own, or someone else’s, earning record.

But even if she did qualify, your new spouse’s benefits would not be affected. They will depend on her age, work history and whether or not you have dependent children. For more information visit the Social Security Administration’s Web site, SSA.gov, which features a retirement benefit estimator.

Question answered by Attorney Jeffrey Feulner

To read Attorney Feulner’s answer, follow the link here to the Orlando Sentinel.

If you would like to learn more about how the Men’s Divorce Law Firm can help you, please feel free to contact us at 407-644-1896, or e-mail us at info@mensdivorcelaw.com.

www.MensDivorceLaw.com