Navigating Family Law: Insights from Tax Court Petition Processes

When it comes to our children, nothing is more important than maintaining a custody arrangement that works for everyone involved. Since 2016, I have helped parents achieve parenting plans that keep their families together and thriving. There are many ways to work through a dispute. Sometimes a judge’s choice is necessary, and other times parents can reach an agreement on their own. An immigration attorney defendant or petitioner must follow the strict guidelines of immigration court. Tax courts have additional guidelines that parties must follow regarding their disputed returns. Likewise, the Florida family court system requires strict compliance with the rules. Oftentimes, when you see a case decided by the Florida district court system, there are many procedural requirements that need to be followed, or risk having your case dismissed. The importance of this role is magnified when a litigation matter relates to child custody. Unfortunately, courts frequently deny parents their opportunity to litigate their case, costing thousands of dollars in unnecessary legal fees due to unintentional errors in the procedure. This article discusses the common mistake that parents make when they file petitions with the family court system. The example provided in the introduction helps to clarify the importance of timing, and compliance with timelines in a court system that is intended for business practices, and not family law. The same issues apply to family petitions, which is why this article helps parents understand the logistical requirements of their child custody petitions. While businesses often have extensive legal departments who help keep them track with managing legal processes on many topics, parents generally do not have this resource. Parents must rely on private attorneys who specialize in the area of law that pertains to their situation. Further, many parents do not retain attorneys for their family court cases as they cannot afford the significant expense of hiring an attorney. In these scenarios, parents will file petitions and decide their own case without legal representation. The petition process must be strictly adhered to by the parent, or risk having a judge deny their petition, costing unnecessary time and money to parents.