Miami

Condos, rentals and the marital residence

Most Miami households rent, and many owners live in condominiums. Deciding who keeps a lease or a condo, how to handle association fees and special assessments, and how to divide equity in a unit bought during the marriage are common early questions.

Equity compensation and variable pay

Finance, tech and other professional jobs in Brickell and downtown often pay through bonuses, commissions, stock grants or RSUs. Those forms of compensation can be marital property, income for support purposes, or both — and timing matters when they vest.

Couples who never married

Many Miami parents are not married. When parents never married, the father has no court-ordered rights until paternity is established, and the mother has no support order. A paternity case sets the parenting plan, time-sharing and child support the same way a divorce would.

Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements

For couples planning a wedding — or already married and building wealth — a marital agreement can set the rules on property and support ahead of time. Agreements hold up best when they are negotiated early, with full financial disclosure.

What to expect in a Miami-Dade family case

• Family cases are heard at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center in downtown Miami.
• Many hearings can be attended remotely when the court allows it.
• Most contested cases go through mediation before trial.