Miami-Dade Divorce and Family Law Attorney
The Law Firm of Jeffrey Alan Aenlle, PLLC is a boutique divorce and family law firm located at 1221 Brickell Avenue, Suite 900, Miami, Florida 33131. The firm represents individuals and families throughout Miami-Dade County in dissolution of marriage, alimony, timesharing and parental responsibility, child support, paternity, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements, and equitable distribution proceedings before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Division. Attorney Jeffrey Alan Aenlle has practiced Florida family law exclusively since his admission to the Florida Bar in 2011.
Miami-Dade County is one of the most populous and culturally diverse counties in the United States, home to over 2.7 million residents representing more than 100 nationalities. Family law matters in Miami-Dade reflect this diversity. Cases frequently involve international assets, multilingual households, non-U.S. nationals, Hague Convention proceedings, and cross-border enforcement of family court orders. The firm has the experience and geographic focus to handle the full range of Miami-Dade family law matters, from straightforward uncontested divorces to complex high-net-worth litigation involving international and domestic asset structures.
Miami-Dade Family Court: The Eleventh Judicial Circuit
Divorce and family law proceedings in Miami-Dade County are handled by the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, Family Division, located at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128. The Miami-Dade Family Division handles all matters relating to dissolution of marriage, parental responsibility and timesharing, child support, alimony, paternity, domestic violence injunctions, and modification of family court orders. Miami-Dade Family Court is one of the busiest family court systems in Florida, and navigating its local rules, standing orders, and case management procedures requires an attorney with specific Eleventh Judicial Circuit experience.
Key procedural requirements in Miami-Dade Family Court include mandatory mediation before most contested family law matters can be set for trial, mandatory financial disclosure including the exchange of financial affidavits under Florida Family Law Rule of Procedure 12.285, mandatory parenting course completion before final hearing in cases involving minor children under Fla. Stat. § 61.21, case management conferences in contested matters, and Guardian ad Litem appointment in contested timesharing cases involving the welfare of minor children.
Divorce in Miami-Dade County
Florida is a no-fault divorce state. The sole ground for dissolution of marriage is that the marriage is irretrievably broken under Fla. Stat. § 61.052. At least one spouse must have been a Florida resident for a minimum of six months before filing under Fla. Stat. § 61.021. Miami-Dade divorce cases range from simple uncontested matters resolved through a Marital Settlement Agreement to complex contested proceedings involving significant marital estates, business interests, and international assets. The firm handles the full spectrum of Miami-Dade dissolution proceedings, including simplified dissolution of marriage, uncontested divorce and Marital Settlement Agreement drafting, contested divorce litigation, high-net-worth divorce involving complex domestic and international asset portfolios, and gray divorce involving long-term marriages and retirement asset division.
Equitable Distribution in Miami-Dade Divorces
Florida follows the principle of equitable distribution under Fla. Stat. § 61.075, meaning marital assets and liabilities are divided fairly between spouses, though not necessarily equally. The court begins with a presumption that equal distribution is appropriate and may deviate based on statutory factors including each spouse’s economic circumstances, contributions to the marriage, and the intentional dissipation of marital assets. Miami-Dade divorces frequently involve Miami-Dade residential and commercial real estate, investment and brokerage accounts, business ownership interests and professional practices, retirement accounts including 401(k), IRA, and pension plans, deferred compensation, stock options and restricted stock units, offshore and international accounts, cryptocurrency and digital assets, boats and vessels, and art, jewelry, and collectibles.
Child Custody and Timesharing in Miami-Dade County
Florida law governs parental responsibility and timesharing through a mandatory Parenting Plan under Fla. Stat. § 61.13. Effective July 1, 2023, Florida established a rebuttable presumption that equal timesharing is in the best interests of the child under Fla. Stat. § 61.13(2)(c)(1). Miami-Dade timesharing matters present unique challenges not commonly found in other Florida counties, including international relocation requests and Hague Convention proceedings, timesharing arrangements for families with non-U.S. national parents, passport and international travel consent disputes, parenting plans accommodating demanding professional and travel schedules, timesharing modifications following remarriage or new household circumstances, and parental alienation in high-conflict Miami-Dade cases. For more information visit our Miami child custody attorney page.
Alimony in Miami-Dade County Divorces
Florida’s alimony law was significantly reformed effective July 1, 2023. Permanent alimony was eliminated. Courts may now award bridge-the-gap, rehabilitative, or durational alimony based on the length of the marriage and the statutory factors set forth in Fla. Stat. § 61.08. Under the amended statute, durational alimony in a short-term marriage of under seven years may not exceed fifty percent of the length of the marriage, durational alimony in a moderate-term marriage of seven to seventeen years may not exceed sixty percent of the length of the marriage, and durational alimony in a long-term marriage of seventeen years or more may not exceed seventy-five percent of the length of the marriage. The firm represents both payors and recipients of alimony throughout Miami-Dade County in negotiation, mediation, and contested litigation. For more information visit our Miami alimony attorney page.
Paternity in Miami-Dade County
In Florida, paternity must be legally established before an unmarried father has any enforceable rights regarding timesharing or parental responsibility. Fla. Stat. § 742.10. Paternity may be established voluntarily through a signed acknowledgment of paternity or by court order following genetic testing under Fla. Stat. § 742.12. Miami-Dade paternity proceedings frequently arise in cases involving unmarried parents separating after the birth of a child, disputes over parental rights, and child support enforcement matters. The firm represents both mothers and fathers in Miami-Dade paternity proceedings before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. For more information visit our Miami paternity attorney page.
Prenuptial Agreements in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade’s diverse, internationally connected population makes prenuptial agreements particularly important, especially for non-U.S. nationals, high-net-worth individuals, business owners, and anyone entering a second marriage with significant premarital assets. Florida prenuptial agreements are governed by the Florida Premarital Agreement Act, Fla. Stat. § 61.079. The firm drafts and reviews prenuptial and postnuptial agreements for Miami-Dade residents with particular attention to international asset structures and cross-border enforceability. For more information visit our Miami prenuptial agreement attorney page.
Communities We Serve Throughout Miami-Dade County
The firm represents clients in divorce and family law matters throughout Miami-Dade County, including Brickell, Coconut Grove, Key Biscayne, Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Downtown Miami, Wynwood and Edgewater, Miami Beach, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, North Miami Beach, Miami Shores, North Miami, Doral, Hialeah, Kendall, Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Westchester, and Miami Gardens.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Miami-Dade Family Law Attorney
If you are facing a divorce, custody dispute, alimony matter, or any other family law issue in Miami-Dade County, contact the Law Firm of Jeffrey Alan Aenlle, PLLC to schedule a free consultation at our Brickell office at 1221 Brickell Avenue, Suite 900, Miami, Florida 33131. Call us at +1 (786) 309-8588 or use the button below to schedule online.
Where are Miami-Dade County family law cases filed?
Family law cases in Miami-Dade County are filed in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court, Family Division, located at the Lawson E. Thomas Courthouse Center, 175 NW 1st Avenue, Miami, Florida 33128. All dissolution of marriage petitions, paternity actions, and post-judgment modification and enforcement proceedings affecting parties residing in Miami-Dade County are heard by the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Division judges.
How long does a divorce take in Miami-Dade County?
An uncontested divorce in Miami-Dade County where all issues are resolved prior to filing can be finalized in as little as four to six weeks after the petition is filed. A contested divorce involving disputed property, alimony, or timesharing typically takes between six months and two years depending on the complexity of the issues and whether the matter proceeds to trial. Mediation is required in most Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Division cases before the matter can be set for trial.
Does Florida favor equal timesharing in Miami-Dade divorces?
Yes. Effective July 1, 2023, Florida law establishes a rebuttable presumption that equal timesharing is in the best interests of the minor child under Fla. Stat. § 61.13. Either party may present competent evidence to rebut this presumption based on the twenty statutory best interests factors. In Miami-Dade County, international travel logistics, school scheduling, and the geographic distance between parents’ residences are frequently important practical considerations in parenting plan negotiations before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit.
Was permanent alimony eliminated in Florida?
Yes. The 2023 amendments to Fla. Stat. § 61.08, effective for all petitions filed on or after July 1, 2023, eliminated permanent alimony in Florida. Courts may now award bridge-the-gap alimony, rehabilitative alimony, or durational alimony based on the requesting party’s need and the other party’s ability to pay, subject to durational caps tied to the length of the marriage.
How is property divided in a Miami-Dade divorce?
Florida divides marital property under the equitable distribution framework of Fla. Stat. § 61.075, beginning with a presumption of equal division that may be adjusted based on the statutory factors. In Miami-Dade County, equitable distribution frequently involves real estate, retirement accounts, closely held business interests, deferred compensation, international and offshore accounts, and cryptocurrency. Nonmarital assets acquired before the marriage or received as gifts or inheritances and kept separate are generally not subject to equitable distribution.
Do I need a Miami-Dade family law attorney?
Florida does not require you to have an attorney in a family law proceeding, but the legal and financial consequences of dissolution of marriage, alimony, timesharing, and child support determinations are significant and lasting. An experienced Miami-Dade family law attorney ensures that your rights are protected throughout the proceeding, that all required disclosures and filings are completed correctly and on time, and that the outcome of the proceeding accurately reflects your legal rights and financial interests before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Division.
What makes Miami-Dade family law cases unique?
Miami-Dade County’s international character creates family law issues that are less common in other Florida jurisdictions. These include Hague Convention proceedings involving the wrongful removal or retention of children across international borders, service of process on foreign nationals, enforcement of foreign divorce judgments in Florida courts, division of international and offshore assets, and cross-border prenuptial agreement enforceability. The firm handles the full range of these internationally focused Miami-Dade family law matters before the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Family Division.