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Divorce

Florida is a no-fault divorce state, which means that neither party needs to be blamed for the break-up of the marriage. There are two grounds for a Florida divorce: (1) the marriage is irretrievably broken or (2) one of the parties has been judged mentally incapacitated. One of the parties has been a Florida resident for more than six months preceding the filing of the petition for dissolution of marriage Both parties must be prepared to disclose all of their financial information so that the court may process the divorce, dissolve the marriage, equitably divide the assets and liabilities, award alimony, child support, attorney’s fees, suit monies and/or costs. If you have minor children, your final judgment of dissolution of marriage will include a time-sharing schedule, parenting plan and whether you and your spouse will share parental responsibility of your children. At Waters and Associates, P.A., we understand that a divorce is an extremely emotional and stressful time in your life. Whether your divorce case is taking place in Leon County or anywhere in North Florida, attorney William Waters will assist you throughout this process each and every step of the way.

Child Custody

Prior to October 2008, determination of child custody included a number of factors related to determination of visitation schedules, deciding who should be the primary residential/custodial parent of the child, and determining the type of custody (time sharing or rotating custody). Since October 2008, the Florida legislature amended Chapter 61 of the Florida Statute and abolished the custodial designations of a primary residential parent (i.e. custodial parent), secondary residential parent (i.e. non-custodial parent) and rotating custody. Florida now refers to custody as “time-sharing” of minor children amongst both parents. A time-sharing schedule generally sets forth the time that each parent will spend with the minor children during the week and during the weekends as well as where the minor children will sleep during the night. A time-sharing schedule will generally also address breaks such as Winter Break, Spring Break, Summer Break, holidays such as Christmas, Easter, Hannukah, long weekends such as Memorial Day and Labor Day along with birthdays, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. In creating a time-sharing schedule after a divorce, the court will look at the moral fitness of the parents, demonstrated knowledge, capacity and disposition of each parent to be informed of the circumstances of the minor child, evidence of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, child neglect or child abandonment and various other statutory factors. Mr. Waters can help you understand all of the statutory factors, your options and evaluate what would be in the best interests of your child.

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Florida Family Law

Whether you are dealing with happy or sad issues, family law is a highly emotional and difficult legal area for our clients. This is not the right time to get advice from well-meaning family and friends. You need to talk with someone who will provide sound, unemotional legal advice based on Florida’s specific laws. You need an attorney who will present your options in clear language while treating you with compassion. Waters & Associates, P.A. knows the specific Florida family laws and rules and has the experience and compassion you need to help you with any family legal issue. Refer to our Family Law Frequently Asked Questions for helpful information about what you can do when family issues arise.

Prenuptial Agreements

• If you or your intended enters the marriage with significant debt, who will be responsible for it?
• Do you want to retain full ownership of any significant assets or property you had prior to the marriage?
• How do you financially protect children from prior marriages?

Divorce

Modifications

• One spouse may relocate far away, requiring changes to visitation or even custody.
• The spouse who is paying child support or alimony experiences sudden financial hardship due to loss of a job or severe illness.
• The spouse who is receiving child support or alimony enjoys an increase in wealth from a job promotion or another source and no longer needs all of the support required by the initial divorce decree.

Enforcement

Parenting

Paternity

Child Support

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Tallahassee Auto Accident Lawyer

Tallahassee auto accidents can result in a wide variety of injuries. Some injuries may not immediately present themselves. It is important to seek medical attention and consultation with a Tallahassee auto accident attorney if you are involved in a car accident. Injuries from a car crash can impact your life for years to come—our lawyers can ensure you are taken care of.
Some of the most common injuries include the following:

• Head injuries, including concussions, brain injuries, fractures, bruises, cuts, and gashes
• Neck and back injuries, including whiplash, broken bones, disk bulges or ruptures, and muscle injuries
• Internal organs, including injuries to the kidneys, bowels, heart, liver, and other injuries commonly received as result of fractured ribs, including punctured lungs and torn spleens
• Limbs, including fractures, sprains, muscles and ligament damage to arms, legs, ankles, knees, and shoulders

Tallahassee Auto Accident causes:

• Visual, when you take your eyes off the road
• Manual, when you take your hands off the steering wheel
• Cognitive, when your mind is not focused on driving

• The number of crashes per 1,000 people is almost double in Tallahassee compared to the Florida average.
• There were almost 6,500 crashes in Leon County in 2015, over 3,700 involved injuries.
• The city of Tallahassee has the second highest number of car crashes in Florida behind Miami.

Tallahassee Car Wreck

• 1. US-27
• 2. Florida State Road 61
• 3. I-10
• 4. US-319
• 5. US-90

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Criminal Defense

It can happen to anyone. Just one simple mistake and the next thing you know you’re being arrested. You’re probably anxious and not sure what your next steps should be. Will you lose your job over this? Will you have to face jail time? And, most importantly, do you need a lawyer?
Facing a courtroom alone without a criminal defense attorney on your side may lead to a devastating outcome. That’s why your first phone call should be to Bill Waters Law. For more than 26 years, Attorney Bill Waters has been handling all types of criminal cases throughout North Florida. From a simple disorderly person offense to a complex felony charge, Attorney Bill Waters has defended anyone who has been accused of a crime. Call us at 850-692-3841 for more information.

• DUI
• Domestic violence injunctions
• Assaults
• Theft

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Child Support

Regardless of where you reside, if you have minor children subject to proceedings in North Florida the court will award child support during your divorce or paternity case. Parents are obligated by law to contribute to the support of their children. This obligation cannot be contracted away. Any parent who resides in Florida may petition the Florida courts for child support. Under Florida law, if child support is being requested in your divorce or paternity case, child support is calculated using the child support guidelines.

To determine the amount of the child support to be awarded to a parent, the courts begin with a guideline amount which is located in the Florida Statutes. This amount is based on the number of children and the combined net monthly income of the parents.

The child support guidelines will also factor in the cost of daycare and health insurance payments on behalf of the child, as well as the amount of time each parent spends with the child according to the parties’ time-sharing schedule and parenting plan.

If you have children, Mr. Waters will discuss the specifics of child support with you during your initial consultation. He will explain to you whether or not you have an obligation to contribute to the out-of-pocket and uncovered medical and dental expenses for your child, whether child support is available once your child reaches the age of majority and whether you are responsible to pay child support if your child remains disabled past the age of majority.

ALIMONY

PATERNITY

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Child and Adult Sex Crime Survivors

Child and adult sex crime claims are not like other personal injury claims, like an auto crash or slip-and-fall, and should not be treated like them. It takes special insight, compassion and understanding to be an effective voice for child and sex crime survivors to recover for their injuries. Proving crimes when nobody witnessed it, understanding the unique laws and evidence rules that control proof of such crimes, and even how to prove the emotional injuries that cannot be seen on an X-ray or MRI scan, are different from other cases. Likewise, finding evidence and witnesses a child abuse that occurred years ago takes specialized insight and efforts as well. At Waters & Associates, we have the experience and record of success to prove we know how to handle these matters. We have represented survivors against a variety of defendants and are prepared to do so again, including against individual criminals, religious institutions, residential communities, schools, day care providers, and foster care or group home providers.
Call now 850-692-3841 to set up a free and private consultation

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