Family Law in the Time of Corona

Lawyers, litigants, and families have all felt the pressure of social distancing among the COVID-19/SARS-Cov-2/Coronavirus Pandemic.

Social Distancing, Public Closures, & Court Proceedings

Here in Florida, the Governor encourages social distancing and encourages those 65 and older or with medical conditions to stay home. Public Parks are closed, and in our area (Volusia County) schools have closed and “virtual” schools are up and running.

The Florida Supreme Court has ordered a suspension of all grand jury proceedings, jury selections, and criminal and civil trials through April 17th.  The local Chief Judge has closed the Courthouses in Daytona Beach and only “mission critical” court proceedings are happening in the DeLand courthouse or at the courtroom at the Volusia County Jail.  The Courts have been closed for weeks now, and as a result the Chief Judge is now allowing some criminal arraignments and plea hearings to occur in the afternoons at the courtroom at the Volusia County Jail.

What does that mean for lawyers and, more importantly, clients of family law matters?

The paperwork hasn’t stopped. You can still file for divorce or for rights to your child(ren). Your deadlines haven’t stopped or gotten “extended” automatically. You still have to comply with your mandatory disclosures.

At the same time, no one is going to Court for your case management conference, your trial is getting pushed off, and your mediation is being done “virtually” or cancelled all together. Your overall case will likely be slower than normal.

Keep Working Towards a Resolution

Your divorce or paternity action can still resolve, but only if you can do it without a trial.  You will need to work with your attorney closely during this time to make sure your deadlines are still met. Your attorney is still going to be working hard behind the scenes making sure they are ready and prepared for anything and everything that can happen.  When the courthouses reopen and the Judges and General Magistrates are able to hear our cases again, there will be a flood of litigation. Your attorney should be ready.

Your Family Law Attorney Is Still Working Hard for You

Here at Aaron Delgado & Associates, we will be ready.  We will be working and preparing everything for when litigation resumes.  We’ll also be working with our clients and opposing counsel to try to get your cases resolved in a timely manner regardless of the Court system trying to slow us down! If you need a family law attorney during this difficult time, please do not hesitate to call us at 386-222-6677.