About Our Firm

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Founded in 1997 we are experienced and knowledgeable Tampa attorneys practicing exclusively in Divorce, Family, Stepparent/Relative Adoption, Criminal Defense, and Personal Bankruptcy. We practice primarily in the cities of Tampa, Riverview, Brandon, Valrico, Lithia, Carrollwood, Northdale, North Tampa, Plant City as well as Hillsborough County, Pinellas County and Pasco County. We have offices conveniently located throughout Tampa Bay. Our lawyers have extensive experience practicing in contested and uncontested divorces, including military divorces, and family law, child support, child custody and visitation, relocation of children, alimony, domestic violence, distribution of assets and debts, retirement/pensions (military and private), enforcement and modification of final judgments, paternity actions, adoptions and name changes as well as criminal defense. We offer a free consultation to discuss your options. Please call us at 813-672-1900 or email us at info@familymaritallaw.com to schedule a consultation. Our representation of our clients reflects our dedication to them. We look forwarding to hearing from you! Se habla EspaƱol.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Use of Annuities to Improve How Alimony Works

All Family Law Group, P.A., is collaborating with The Planning Partners* to help our divorcing clients to improve their chances for an alimony settlement beneficial to both parties.  Annuity contracts can provide a combination of either more benefits for the same money or at less cost for the same benefits and they can deal with most contingencies alimony agreements include.

Some of the benefits of having an annuity as opposed to providing alimony payments are as follows:
  • The receiving spouse has a certainty of payment as a highly regulated insurance or annuity company provides the payments.  
  • There is no necessity of having to motion the court for enforcement of the alimony provisions of a Final Judgment if the ordered or agreed upon payments are not made.
  • The payor does not have to make payments or have the payments deducted from his or her income through an income deduction order.
  •  If the payor's income goes down because of reduced income from employment, illness, or he or she retires or dies, the annuity payments will remain the same for the former spouse and the payor will not have to seek a reduction modification through the court of the alimony he or she is paying.  Alimony normally terminates upon the death of the payor.  
  • Annuities allow the opportunity to obtain more benefits for the same amount of money or to save money to provide the same benefits agreed upon.  This occurs because insurance and annuity contracts provide for interest and other benefits that creates amounts in addition to the principal payment to be paid to the receiving spouse.
  • The spouse may receive income for terms of 5, 10, or 20 years, for example, or income for life.  However, the amount received will be more the shorter the term of payment.
  • Annuity contracts are exempt from creditors in the event of a bankruptcy, which means that all of the funds survive a bankruptcy.
  • Income taxes are deferred on the build-up of interest income in a deferred indexed annuity, including the new 3.8% Medicare Tax on passive income, if applicable.
Annuities are divided between "immediate" annuities and "deferred" annuities. The immediate annuities start paying an income right away. Deferred annuities allow the growth of principal deposits inside the contract. In the future, the deferred annuities become like immediate annuities providing income from the higher Retirement Fund balance that has grown tax deferred over the years.

There is so much more information to be had on annuities and their benefits in a divorce where alimony or other assets are involved. Call us at 813-672-1900 or contact us by email, if you would like more information on how annuities can work for you if you are going through a divorce or otherwise.  

*To offer insurance and annuity products I have arranged a strategic relationship with two very experienced estate planners. Rick D. Miller, CLU, ChFC, RHU and Scott F. Barnett, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation) have a combined 70 years of experience in the field.  They have organized THE PLANNING PARTNERS to offer professional level services to individuals, families, and closely held businesses.  Rick and Scott have taken the Collaborative Law Training Seminar and Scott is now a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst. 

By Lynette Silon-Laguna

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Friday, August 2, 2013

Is an Income Deduction Order transferable to another employer?

Question from AVVO.com:

She quit her last job as a paralegal for a personal injury lawyer to get out of the Income Withholding order. The income withholding order was just done couple months ago with the employers name on it. Can I send that to the new employer even if there name is not on it. She is working for another personal injury lawyer. I don't have much money since I have to take care of whats important first for my daughter which is 3 to even pay for a lawyer to set things right. In the divorce its states she is to pay for health insurance, half of the medical expense and half daycare.

My Answer:

Even though it has the specific name of her prior employer, there is language in the Order which will make it applicable to future employers. You will have to send a copy of the Income Deduction Order to her new employer and send it certified mail/return receipt requested so that you have proof that it was received. It also must be a Certified copy which you can obtain from the clerk. 


You also mentioned that she is to pay for health insurance, half of the medical expenses and half of the daycare expense. I assume this is in your marital settlement agreement and/or final judgment that she is to do so. If she is not doing this, then your only option is to proceed with a motion to enforce the final judgment and schedule a hearing on it. A mediation may be required prior to a hearing. Also, if you attend a hearing you will need to provide proof as to the health insurance, medical and daycare expenses that you have paid and of which she should have paid all or half.

By Lynette Silon-Laguna
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