Family and Divorce Law
Buckner, Shifrin, Etter, Dugan & Bradfute, P.A.’s family & divorce practice group handles complex and contested cases, as well as the simplest and most amicable ones, including: alimony, “custody” (now referred to as “time sharing”), division of assets and liabilities, paternity, negotiation and drafting of settlement agreements, and unusual issues such as those created by relocation and cross-border litigation. The attorneys are litigators, and they are always prepared to take all contested matters to trial and through appeal, if necessary. The firm conducts a cost-benefit analysis in all cases, however, always mindful of its client’s best interests, including the benefits of a well-negotiated settlement.
The firm is known and respected in South Florida, and most of its clients are referred either by other attorneys or by former clients. Combined, the attorneys in the practice group have tried hundreds of cases and participated in thousands of evidentiary hearings, although most cases are settled outside of court. Firm Partner, Jeannie Etter, is Board Certified in Marital and Family Law by the Florida Bar. The Florida Bar recognizes her as a specialist in her field.
The firm practices in the following areas of law:
- Divorce, both original and modification proceedings, encompassing such issues as alimony, child “time sharing,” child support, and the division of marital assets and liabilities
- Paternity of a child and other non-marital relationship disputes
- Collaborative family law
- Cross border family law cases (domestic and international)
- Pre- and post-nuptial agreements
- Marital settlement agreements
- Intricate business evaluations
- Identification and tracing of marital assets and income
- Relocation with children to other jurisdictions
- Child kidnapping under the Hague Convention on the International Aspects of Child Abductions
- Domestic violence, stalking and harassment
- Same sex and domestic partnership issues (same sex/LGBT divorce), including child time sharing and child support
- Reproductive rights issues including surrogacy contracts
- Child dependency issues
- Appeals to higher courts