Custody

You Advocate for Your Child. We'll Advocate for You.

Discuss your case with a child custody attorney

From dividing marital assets to setting up alimony, divorce is already hard enough. But it becomes even more stressful once children are involved. Make sure you have a skilled child custody attorney on your side when the time comes to decide on the future of your children.

Trakas Thornhill, PA can help you argue for the best possible for your situation. Christine Thornhill will explain your options and help you argue for...

  • Legal custody that will give you the right to make legal decisions relating to your child's schooling and healthcare.
  • Physical custody including full-time custody, joint shared custody or visitation rights, depending on your goals.
  • A child support arrangement that can help make sure your child is properly provided for moving forward.

Call Christine today to arrange for a consultation.

Get help settling your case out of court

When parents talk about child custody today, they are often referring to what is now known in Florida as "timesharing." Timesharing specifically designates which parent will "share time" with the minor child every day or specifically overnight.

Child custody cases can usually be resolved in a matter of weeks. But, if they are heavily disputed, they can last years. Florida's family laws encourage parents to resolve issues involving their children outside of the courtroom. With the assistance of an experienced family law attorney, disputes involving visitation or timesharing and support can often be resolved before you even step foot in a courtroom, saving you time, money and stress.

Schedule a meeting with Christine personally by calling (863) 295-9300 today-our office is conveniently located in Lakeland, Florida.

Fight for Your Right to See Your Children

Team up with a child custody attorney today

One of the toughest parts of the divorce process is deciding how much time the children will spend with each parent. By hiring an experienced child custody attorney, you can build a strong case for your rights as a parent and help create the best possible outcome for your family.

Trakas Thornhill, PA can explain your options and advocate on your behalf. Christine Thornhill will work to create an agreement between you and your ex out of the courtroom. If your case ends up in court, she will represent your interests with zeal.

Contact Christine today to discuss your case.

Negotiate a parenting plan that works for your child

Is it in your child's best interest to spend as much time with you as possible? Is it in your child's best interests to spend equal time between you and the other parent? What would your child visitation or timesharing schedule look like? Christine, your child custody attorney, will help you answer these questions and develop a timesharing or visitation plan that includes...

  • Designating where your child will spend federal or religious holidays
  • Deciding on a schedule during extracurricular activities or school breaks
  • Determining which parent will have custody during birthdays or special occasions
  • Dividing custody between weekdays and weekends or creating a timesharing plan

You shouldn't represent yourself in family court in the Lakeland, FL area. You need an experienced family law attorney on your side. For years, Trakas Thornhill, PA has been representing clients as they negotiate child visitation, timesharing, and custody. As your child custody attorney, Christine Thornhill can arrange or modify custody, visitation and timesharing terms. You can count on her for steadfast representation.

In Florida, child support orders include parenting plans. Find out more by calling Trakas Thornhill, PA at (863) 295-9300 today.

Find Out How to Negotiate Alimony in Lakeland, Florida

Your alimony attorney will explain how the law applies to you

There are many factors that a Florida family law court considers when determining whether to order alimony. It is imperative that you have an experienced family law attorney to present your case to the judge.

Deciding whether you qualify takes a legal analysis of several different factors including the length of the marriage, the needs of the requesting spouse, the ability of the other spouse to pay, how much money the party earns, age and health of both parties, and what kind of lifestyle was maintained during your marriage,and any other relevant statutory factors. An alimony attorney can assess your situation and review the statutory alimony factors with you to determine whether you can expect to receive or pay alimony.
In Florida, there are several types of alimony available.

Bridge-the-gap alimony is when an award of alimony allows the receiving spouse to transition from married life to single life. This is short in term as it may not exceed two years and is non-modifiable.

Rehabilitative alimony is when the receiving spouse needs to develop his or her job skills in order to become self-supporting.

Durational alimony is when one spouse needs economic assistance for a short (less than 7 years) or moderate (greater than 7 years but less than 17 years) time period. This type is modifiable and does not exceed the length of the marriage.

Permanent Periodic alimony is generally awarded in long-term marriages (over 17 years). It is generally tax deductible to the paying spouse which in turn becomes taxable income for the receiving spouse.

Christine Thornhill of Trakas Thornhill, PA has been practicing family and dealing with alimony issues in the Lakeland, FL area since 2005. You can count on her to know what kinds of laws apply to your case, as well as how to leverage them to best help you. Call 863-295-9300 today to schedule a consultation.

Child Support Equation
Parenting Plan Sample

How will the judge calculate child support?

Child support is an integral part of any divorce case that includes minor children or paternity action. Under Florida law, both parents are required to provide financially for their minor children. This requirement ensures that the child’s basic needs are met and that the child benefits from the parents’ monetary resources. Because of this, child support is the right of the child, not the parents. Florida law has detailed statutory guidelines for calculating child support. To determine your or your spouse's child support payments, the court will consider several factors, including...

  • Combined net monthly incomes, including bonuses and benefits
  • The number of children born or adopted to the parents
  • Health insurance cost paid for the benefit of the parents and the minor children
  • Daycare costs paid for the benefit of the children
  • Number of overnights your child spends with you and the other parent

Your child support attorney can tell you how much child support you can expect to pay to the other payment, or receive from the other parent. If you want to negotiate a private child support agreement, your attorney will prepare it and represent you in court. Christine Thornhill has been doing the same for clients just like you in the Lakeland, FL area for nearly two decades.

Modifying a prior child support order is based on a showing of a substantial and unanticipated change in circumstances and can include loss of a job, termination of daycare, disability, a minor child reaches 18, and/or substantial increase or decrease in income. Modification petitions should be filed right away because modifications are only effective from the date of filing and forward.

Contact Trakas Thornhill, PA today to speak with Christine Thornhill a child support attorney about your child support or modification case.

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