Jacksonville Family Law Attorneys
Elizabeth R. Ondriezek, P.A. is a full-service family law firm in Jacksonville serving clients throughout Duval, Nassau, Clay and St. Johns counties. The practice focuses primarily on divorce, adoption and juvenile dependency law, but also includes advice and representation in a host of other family law matters, including domestic violence, military divorce, paternity, family law mediation, name changes and relocations. Contact our experienced Jacksonville family law attorneys today, we can help.
Adoption
One of the most gratifying aspects of maintaining a law practice is helping to grow and establish families through adoption. Elizabeth R. Ondriezek, P.A. helps adopting families through the entire process of adoption in Jacksonville and surrounding communities in Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. Our adoption practice includes representing parties in private adoptions, stepparent adoptions and Department of Children and Families (DCF) adoptions, contact our Jacksonville adoption attorneys today.
Divorce
The dissolution of a marriage has lasting consequences for the parties involved, including parenting time and timesharing, child support, and the division of marital property. Jacksonville divorce attorney Elizabeth Ondriezek has over 20 years of experience representing divorce clients in high net worth or high conflict cases. Her professional background in accountancy and the mortgage industry, as well as her experience as a Supreme Court Certified Mediator and guardian ad litem, benefit her clients throughout Duval, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties. The law office of Elizabeth R. Ondriezek, P.A. can help you work through every issue in your divorce.
Juvenile Law
Elizabeth Ondriezek is a Jacksonville juvenile law attorney with over 20 years of experience representing families in juvenile dependency matters in Nassau, Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties.
Injunctions for Protection
Florida law allows for the entry of Injunctions for Protection in four different situations. Victims can go to court and obtain a protective injunction (sometimes called a “restraining order”) to keep the other person from threatening or abusing him/her. The person filing is called the “Petitioner.” The person responding is called the “Respondent.” Injunctions can affect very serious rights including timesharing, child support, and access to a shared residence. It is important for both Petitioners and Respondents to hire counsel to represent them in these matters. Ms. Ondriezek and her associate have many years of experience providing zealous representation on both sides of these issues.
Other Jacksonville Family Law Matters
Military Divorce
Jacksonville is home to several Navy bases. When a divorce involves a military member, special rules apply, including regarding the division of military retirement and benefits, and additional time to respond to legal proceedings for service members on active duty. If your family law matter involves a military service member, make sure you retain an attorney familiar with Florida family law and the special rules for members of the military. Ms. Ondriezek has been assisting military members and their spouses for over 20 years.
Paternity
Unless parental rights have been terminated, a child’s biological father has a legal responsibility to financially support his children and may also have the legal right to be involved in parenting plans and timesharing. Paternity matters may therefore arise independently or in the context of a dissolution of marriage. Ms. Ondriezek and her team can help establish or challenge paternity in court or through one of the other processes allowed by law for determining parentage. It is extremely important to have counsel in these cases because child support will be legally set by the court and will remain at that level unless a judge later changes it.
Family Law Mediation
Most, if not all, family law matters are referred to mediation. Mediation is a process wherein the parties appear with counsel (usually) and meet with a Supreme Court Certified Mediator. The parties are paying both their attorney and the mediator an hourly rate, so thorough preparation well in advance of mediation is essential. Additionally, most cases tend to settle at mediation, which saves the parties time, agony, and the expense of a trial. Ms. Ondriezek has mediated hundreds of cases as attorney for a party. She is also a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator herself and is now accepting matters referred to mediation. This training and experience is helpful when preparing her own cases for the highest chance of settling.
Name Change
It is not uncommon for a former spouse to revert to using a previous name, but unless this is done through an official process, legal problems can quickly arise. The attorneys at Elizabeth R. Ondriezek, P.A. help clients obtain a name change during the divorce or at a later date. They can also help accomplish a name change for a child if desired, which may require a court hearing if contested by the child’s father.
Relocation
If a parent needs to move 50 miles or more away from his/her principal place of residence at the time of the last order establishing time-sharing, the parenting plan and timesharing can be disrupted. A relocation generally requires going to court for a modification of the court order, which requires proving changed circumstances that justify the modification and a solution that is in the child’s best interests. Whether seeking or opposing a modification, legal assistance in this process is strongly encouraged.
Experienced Jacksonville Family Law Attorneys
Elizabeth Ondriezek is a Supreme Court Certified Mediator and experienced litigator who can help resolve your family law matter in or out of court, as most appropriate. For compassionate advice and aggressive representation in Jacksonville and its surrounding areas, contact Elizabeth R. Ondriezek, P.A.
