Caroline Olson, P.A. handles divorce, alimony, child support and custody matters, parenting plans, paternity, marital settlement agreements, mediation, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, property division, time-sharing and uncontested divorce matters.

Caroline’s family law experience dates to 1999. Her professional background also includes service as an Assistant State Attorney and Court Appointed Guardian Ad Litem.

Caroline takes a straightforward, solution-oriented approach. She listens to the client’s circumstances, explains the issues clearly and develops a strategy based on the needs of the individual and family.

Yes. Caroline Olson, P.A. offers a free initial consultation so you can discuss your family law matter and learn more about the next steps that may be available to you.

The firm has offices in Jupiter, Boca Raton and Plantation, Florida.

Not necessarily. Many family law issues can be resolved through negotiation, settlement or mediation. When litigation is necessary, Caroline prepares to advocate for her client through the court process.

Yes. The firm handles matters involving child support, parental responsibility, parenting plans, paternity and time-sharing.

Call (561) 288-0548 or complete the consultation form. The firm can then discuss your situation and determine the appropriate next step.

Permanent alimony is not one of the forms of alimony available under Florida's current statute for initial petitions governed by the law effective July 1, 2023. Current forms include temporary, bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative and durational alimony

Yes. Either party may seek alimony. The requesting spouse must establish a need for support and the other spouse's ability to pay.

Bridge-the-gap alimony may last no more than two years and is designed to address identifiable short-term needs during the transition from married life to being single.

Florida law generally limits rehabilitative alimony to five years, and a specific rehabilitative plan is required.

Yes. Marriage duration is one factor considered in an alimony case and affects the potential duration of durational alimony.

Often, yes. Spouses may address alimony through negotiation, mediation or a marital settlement agreement. When agreement is not possible, the court may decide the issue.

Caroline Olson, P.A. has three convenient offices in Boca Raton, Jupiter and Plantation and serves clients throughout South Florida.

Florida generally addresses what people commonly call custody through parental responsibility, time-sharing and a parenting plan. Parental responsibility concerns major decisions affecting the child, while time-sharing concerns when the child spends time with each parent.

No. Florida has a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in a minor child’s best interests, but that presumption can be overcome. When parents do not agree, the court considers the circumstances of the child and family.

No. Equal or substantial time-sharing does not automatically eliminate child support. Income, overnights, child-care expenses, health insurance and other guideline factors can affect the calculation.

A parenting plan includes a time-sharing schedule and addresses responsibilities involving the child, including issues such as education, health care and communication.

Yes, when the legal requirements for modification are satisfied. Changes in family circumstances may justify reviewing the existing arrangement.

Yes. Child support may be modified when circumstances change sufficiently to satisfy Florida’s legal requirements. Changes in income, parenting time or certain child-related expenses may be relevant.

Yes. Call (561) 288-0548 or submit the consultation form to discuss your child support, parenting or time-sharing concerns.

Florida generally allows a marriage to be dissolved when the marriage is irretrievably broken. A spouse does not have to prove traditional marital fault simply to obtain a divorce.

At least one spouse generally must have lived in Florida for six months before the divorce petition is filed.

Depending on your circumstances, your divorce may involve property and debt division, alimony, child support, parental responsibility, a parenting plan, time-sharing and other financial or family issues.

An uncontested divorce generally means the spouses are able to agree on the issues that must be resolved rather than asking the court to decide those disputed matters.

No. Many divorce cases are resolved through agreement, negotiation or mediation. Litigation becomes necessary when important issues remain unresolved.

A simplified dissolution is a limited Florida procedure available to some couples who meet specific requirements. Final eligibility language must be reviewed by the attorney before publication.

Yes. Complex matters may require detailed financial analysis and, when appropriate, input from financial professionals, appraisers, business valuators or forensic specialists.

A marital settlement agreement is a written contract setting out terms spouses have agreed upon as part of their divorce. It can address property, debts, support and other financial or administrative issues involved in ending the marriage.

Depending on the case, an agreement may address the marital home, real estate, bank and investment accounts, retirement benefits, business interests, debts, alimony, insurance, taxes, attorney’s fees and other negotiated obligations.

Parenting responsibility and time-sharing are generally addressed through a parenting plan, which may be referenced by or attached to the parties’ settlement documents.

No. Negotiations may take place over time, and mediation can be used to work through unresolved issues. If spouses cannot resolve certain disputes, those issues may need to be decided through litigation.

Legal review can still help identify missing details, unclear provisions and possible long-term consequences before documents are signed.

It depends on the provision, the wording of the agreement and Florida law. Some obligations may be modifiable under certain circumstances, while others can be much more difficult to change.

Yes. Call (561) 288-0548 or complete the consultation form to request your free initial consultation.

A family law mediator serves as a neutral facilitator. The mediator helps the parties communicate, clarify disputed issues and explore possible solutions. The mediator does not decide the case for the parties.

Yes. Mediation is commonly used in divorce proceedings to address property division, parenting arrangements, support and other disputed family law matters.

No. Mediation exists because disagreements remain. The process helps identify disputed issues and determine whether acceptable compromises can be reached.

When the parties reach agreement, the terms can be reduced to writing and handled through the appropriate legal and court procedures.

Unresolved issues can continue through the legal process. Mediation may still narrow the number of issues that remain in dispute.

It can. Resolving issues without extended litigation may reduce attorney time and other litigation expenses, although actual cost depends on the complexity of the case.

Florida law provides protections governing mediation confidentiality and privilege, subject to legal exceptions. How those rules apply should be discussed in the context of your specific mediation.

Yes. Mediation can address parenting plans, timesharing, parental responsibility and related child issues.

Whether you should have independent legal representation depends on your circumstances. A mediator is neutral and does not replace your personal legal adviser.

Call Caroline Olson, P.A. at (561) 288-0548 or request a Free Initial Consultation to discuss your family law situation and whether mediation may be appropriate.

A Florida parenting plan is a court-approved document that establishes how parents will share responsibilities for their children and specifies the time the children will spend with each parent. It can also address healthcare, education, communication and child exchanges.

Florida law creates a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in a minor child's best interests, but that does not guarantee a 50/50 schedule in every case. The child's best interests remain the controlling consideration.

If parents cannot reach an approved agreement, the court can establish the parenting plan and time-sharing schedule after considering the statutory best-interest factors and the circumstances of the family.

Yes. Modification generally requires a substantial and material change in circumstances and a finding that the modification is in the child's best interests.

Yes. A well-developed plan can set out regular parenting time as well as holidays, school breaks, vacations and other scheduling issues important to the family.

A court-approved parenting plan can be enforced. Florida law provides potential remedies depending on the facts of the case.

Caroline Olson, P.A. has offices in Boca Raton, Jupiter and Plantation and serves clients from communities throughout South Florida.

Establishing paternity legally identifies a child’s father. It can provide important rights and benefits for the child and both parents. It may also provide a legal basis for addressing child support, parental responsibility, parenting plans and time-sharing.

Depending on the circumstances, paternity may be established because the parents are married when the child is born, through voluntary acknowledgment, through an administrative process, or through a court order.

Yes. Florida provides voluntary acknowledgment procedures for unmarried parents, including procedures that may be completed at the hospital or after the child’s birth.

Yes, in some situations. Administrative procedures may be available in qualifying cases.

Yes. Scientific testing can be ordered or used in a paternity proceeding when appropriate under Florida law.

Not necessarily. Paternity can provide the legal foundation for addressing parenting plans, time-sharing, parental responsibility and support, but those issues may require separate determinations.

Do not assume the issue will correct itself. Changing established legal paternity can require court action and should be discussed with an attorney promptly.

Consider legal guidance when parentage is disputed, you are being asked to sign legal documents, you have received a paternity petition, you are seeking parental rights, child support is involved or you are unsure how paternity could affect you and your child.

A prenuptial agreement is created before marriage. A postnuptial agreement is created after the marriage has already taken place.

A prenuptial agreement can address many financial and property matters, including property rights, ownership and management of assets, disposition of property, certain spousal-support provisions and other lawful financial arrangements.

A marital agreement cannot override a child’s rights under Florida law. Child support remains subject to Florida law and judicial review.

No. Couples consider agreements for many reasons, including business ownership, real estate, debt, children from a prior relationship, retirement assets or simply wanting clearer financial expectations.

A prenuptial agreement may address ownership rights and the treatment of business interests. The appropriate terms depend on how the business is owned and the couple’s circumstances.

Clear financial information helps both parties understand what is being addressed and can be important to the enforceability of an agreement.

Florida follows equitable distribution. The court generally begins with the premise that marital assets and liabilities should be distributed equally, but an unequal distribution may be appropriate based on the circumstances and the factors Florida law requires the court to consider.

Marital property generally includes assets acquired and liabilities incurred during the marriage, along with the marital portion of certain other assets or increases in value. How an item is titled does not always determine whether it is marital.

Property owned before marriage may be treated as nonmarital property, but the analysis can change if the asset was commingled, retitled, paid for with marital funds or increased in value because of marital effort or contributions.

An inheritance received by one spouse is generally treated as nonmarital property when it is kept separate. Commingling inherited funds or using them in ways that create a marital interest can affect that classification.

The marital portion of retirement accounts and pension benefits may be subject to equitable distribution. Contributions or benefits earned before the marriage or after the relevant cutoff date may require separate analysis.

There is no single answer. Depending on the circumstances, the home may be sold and the proceeds divided, one spouse may retain the home and offset the other spouse’s interest, or another arrangement may be negotiated or ordered.

Marital liabilities are addressed as part of equitable distribution along with marital assets. The court may consider when and why a debt was incurred and the other statutory factors that apply to the overall division.

Financial disclosure and careful review can help identify missing, transferred or dissipated assets. Florida courts may consider the intentional dissipation, waste, depletion or destruction of marital assets when dividing property.

Yes. Spouses can negotiate how to divide property and debts and document the agreement in a marital settlement agreement. Legal review can help make sure the terms are clear and account for important financial consequences.

Property decisions can affect your home, retirement, business interests, taxes and long-term financial security. An attorney can help identify what may be marital or nonmarital, address valuation and tracing issues, and review the consequences before you sign an agreement.

Timesharing refers to the schedule establishing when a child spends time with each parent. It is typically part of a parenting plan that also addresses how parents will handle responsibilities involving their children.

No. Florida law creates a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in a child’s best interests unless the parents agree otherwise, but the final arrangement still depends on the circumstances of the family and the child’s best interests.

Time-sharing addresses when the child spends time with each parent. Parental responsibility deals primarily with parental rights and responsibilities for important decisions concerning the child.

Yes. Parents can often negotiate a parenting plan and proposed time-sharing schedule. A court can approve an agreed plan when it satisfies applicable legal requirements and the child’s best interests.

If parents cannot resolve their differences, the court can establish a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule after considering Florida’s statutory best-interest factors.

A child’s reasonable preference may be considered when the court finds the child has sufficient intelligence, understanding and experience to express a preference. It is one factor among many and does not give the child sole authority to decide the schedule.

Potentially. Florida law generally requires a substantial and material change in circumstances and a determination that modification is in the child’s best interests.

Parents should treat child support and time-sharing as separate court-ordered obligations. A parent should obtain legal advice before taking action that could violate an existing parenting plan or court order.

Document the problem and speak with a family law attorney about your options. Depending on the circumstances, court enforcement or another form of dispute resolution may be appropriate.

Caroline Olson, P.A. offers a Free Initial Consultation. Call (561) 288-0548 or submit the consultation form to get started.

An uncontested divorce is generally one in which both spouses agree to end the marriage and have resolved the material financial, property, support and parenting issues that would otherwise require a court decision.

Do both spouses have to agree for a divorce to be uncontested?

Yes. An uncontested divorce can involve children if the required parenting, time-sharing, parental responsibility and child-support issues are properly resolved.

Timing varies based on the circumstances, county, document preparation and court scheduling. A statutory minimum does not guarantee a specific completion date.

Florida allows people to represent themselves, but an attorney can help you understand the consequences of your agreement and identify financial, parenting or drafting issues that might otherwise be missed.

It often can be because fewer disputed hearings and less litigation may be required. Actual legal fees and court costs depend on the complexity of the marriage and the work required.

You may still be able to resolve the remaining issues through negotiation or mediation. Caroline can help identify what remains unresolved and discuss options for reaching complete agreement.

Call Caroline Olson, P.A. at (561) 288-0548 or complete the consultation form to schedule your free initial consultation.