Fort Lauderdale Divorce Lawyer Blog

Last year, Okaloosa County, Florida created its first Unified Family Court in Crestview. Okaloosa County Circuit Judge Terry Ketchel was appointed to preside over the court. According to Ketchel, the court was set up to bring related domestic issues into the same courtroom before a single judge. He also stated civil cases concerning divorce, domestic violence, neglect, and juvenile delinquency make up almost half of all cases heard in the First Judicial District of Florida.

Terry Terrell, Chief Judge of the First Judicial Circuit, is committed to the Unified Family Court concept. Terrell, who was previously appointed to a Family Court Steering Committee by the Supreme Court of Florida, believes Crestview was a particularly well-suited location in which to begin the program. Although the Unified Family Court is still in its early stages, Okaloosa County officials hope to establish another location next year.

Judge Ketchel believes the new court provides judges with an opportunity to engage in better decision-making because it provides a judge with a better understanding of a family's particular situation. He also stated prior to implementation of the new court, it was not uncommon for a single family to have multiple cases on the family law docket at any given time. The primary goal of the Unified Family Court is to protect children. According to Ketchel, "They're not causing any of this, but they are dramatically impacted. Even the best of divorces is traumatic for children."

Although there is no way to truly determine the success of the county's new family court, employees at the Department of Children and Families in Northwest Florida support the concept. Additionally, Terrell believes the court has increased judicial efficiency and acts as an effective case management tool. It will be interesting to learn whether other Florida counties soon follow the new Okaloosa County family court model.

If you are faced with divorce or other stressful family law matters, you need an experienced attorney who is focused on family law to help you navigate the legal process. Whether or not you have legal counsel for marital and family law matters can make a huge difference in your future. A knowledgeable family law attorney can help.

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Three days after he administered the Florida attorney's oath to his son Carlos, 58-year-old Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Julio Jimenez succumbed to liver cancer. The former defense attorney started his career as a circuit judge in 2003. He began presiding over Miami-Dade family law matters last January.

Judge Jimenez was born in Matanzas, Cuba and immigrated to the United States with only his sister at the age of eight. When the rest of his family arrived in the United States, Jimenez's family moved to Chicago. He attended the University of Illinois and later earned a law degree from DePaul University. Jimenez moved to the Miami Metro as a new attorney more than thirty years ago. The young defense lawyer met his wife, Lili, at the court house where she worked as an interpreter for Spanish speakers.

Jimenez is remembered as an active judge who truly enjoyed his job. 11th Circuit Chief Judge Joel Brown stated Jimenez was a well respected judge who had a reputation for both integrity and fairness. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Jorge Cueto said Jimenez was a smart, decisive man. Early on in Cueto's career, Jimenez served as a role model for the type of judge he hoped to become.

Judge Jimenez was also known for his willingness to make tough decisions in the courtroom. When presiding over criminal trials, he offered up long prison sentences for violent offenders. A former law partner said Jimenez always had the ability to differentiate between those offenders who merely made a mistake and those whose violence merited stiff punishment. Jimenez also expected parties to be practical and negotiate plea deals in those cases he felt ought to be resolved prior to trial.

Unfortunately, after only one year in the Miami-Dade Circuit's family law division, Judge Jimenez lost his battle with liver cancer. He is survived by his wife and three children.

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A Fort Lauderdale mother was awarded unsupervised time-sharing and visitation rights to her 11-month-old son. However, a Broward county General Magistrate denied her requested to regain full custody of her child. The court ordered the child, Charlie Costa, to stay with a new foster family in light of a recent injury.

The minor child, Charlie Costa, is at Broward General Medical Center suffering from a skull fracture. He is reported to be alert, eating and does not have any hemorrhaging. In light of his recent injury, the mother, Apple Costa, unsuccessfully persuaded General Magistrate Giuseppina Miranda to remove her child from foster care and place him back in her home.

The minor child entered foster care 7 months ago due to burns on his hand and his mother's drug addiction. Since then, his mother has had clean drug tests, completed parenting counseling and had psychiatric evaluations.

The Florida Department of Children & Familes is investigating how the minor child sustained a head injury. It is being reported that the minor child's injuries are not inconsistent with a fall. Investigators and doctors do not believe that there has been evidence of deliberate abuse.

The Florida Governor's Office is reporting that Governor Charlie Christ has appointed Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Kevin Emas to the Third District Court of Appeal. Divorce attorneys in Miami appear before Judge Emas where he presently presides over cases which involve dissolution of marriage, child support, paternity, child custody, alimony, parenting plans and time-sharing schedules.

Judge Emas has been a Circuit Court Judge since 2001. Prior to his tenure on the as a Circuit Court Judge, he had been a Miami-Dade County Court Judge from 1996 to 2001. Judge Emas was appointed to the Third District Court of Appeal as a result of the retirement of Judge Gerald B. Cope.