Erlinger Family Law

09/05/2026

"You'll get alimony for the rest of his life."

I still hear this in my office — from people who haven't looked at Florida law since it changed.

Permanent alimony is gone. As of 2023, Florida courts no longer award it. If you're facing a divorce in Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, or Fernandina Beach right now, that changes how you need to plan — whether you're the one who might receive support, or the one who might pay it.

Here's what's left under Florida law:
🔹 Bridge-the-gap — capped at 2 years
🔹 Rehabilitative — up to 5 years, tied to a specific plan
🔹 Durational — capped based on how long you were married
🔹 Temporary — while the case is pending

For marriages under 10 years, durational alimony can't exceed half the length of the marriage. For 10–20-year marriages, it's capped at 60%. And under 3 years married? Durational alimony generally isn't on the table at all.

Walking into a divorce without knowing these numbers is walking in blind — on either side of it.

I've spent 22 years in Northeast Florida courtrooms, including time as a Florida Assistant State Attorney. I built my practice so my clients never have to guess.

📖 Read the full breakdown on our blog: https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/florida-alimony-law-changes.html

🌐 Visit our website: https://erlingerfamilylaw.com/

📞 Free, confidential consultation: (904) 742-9117
🔗 https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min?month=2026-09

Serving Duval, Clay, St. Johns & Nassau County families.

09/02/2026

"If I can prove he cheated, I get everything, right?"

I hear a version of this question constantly. And I understand exactly why people believe it — it feels like it should be true.

Here's the real answer, and it's more nuanced than yes or no:

Florida is a no-fault state. You don't have to prove your spouse did anything wrong to get divorced — "the marriage is irretrievably broken" is enough. So no, cheating by itself doesn't hand you the house, the savings, or a bigger settlement.

But — and this is the part most people never hear — adultery isn't legally invisible either.

If marital money was spent on the affair — hotel rooms, gifts, rent for someone else, trips — a judge can factor that in. Not as punishment for cheating. As compensation for money that shouldn't have left the marriage in the first place.

That's the actual standard: not "did they cheat," but "did it cost the marriage money."

Same logic applies to custody — an affair alone rarely moves the needle. What matters is whether it affected the kids in a documented, concrete way.

Knowing which one your situation actually is — emotional or financial — changes everything about how your case should be built.

Read the full breakdown — what counts as financial impact, how dissipation works, and where custody actually comes in:
🔗 https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/does-cheating-affect-divorce-florida.html

If you're not sure which side of that line you're on, that's exactly the kind of question a free consultation is for.

📞 (904) 742-9117
📅 https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min?month=2026-09

Tag someone who's asked you this exact question.

09/02/2026

PANTHER PARTNER

ERLINGER
FAMILY LAW

PLATINUM PARTNER
2026 - 2027

Erlinger Family Law is a boutique family law firm providing representation in divorce, paternity, modifications, and other family law-related matters.

☎️ : 727-804-8571
💻 : www.erlingerfamilylaw.com
📍 : 12412 San Jose Blvd. Suite 405, Jacksonville, FL

Please support businesses, like , that support the Nease Community! 💚💛

08/18/2026

What does 22 years in Florida courtrooms actually mean for YOUR family law case? ⚖️

Not the résumé version. Not simply a number on a law firm website.

The real version.

For more than two decades, I’ve worked inside Florida’s legal system—as a Florida Assistant State Attorney, an attorney with the Florida Attorney General’s Ethics Bureau, a Guardian ad Litem Program state expert, and a family law attorney representing families throughout Northeast Florida.

And every chapter taught me something different.

How to build a case—not just argue one.

How to anticipate what may be coming from the other side.

How to tell a client the truth, even when it isn’t necessarily what they hoped to hear.

And, especially when children are involved, how important it is to keep the long-term impact of every legal decision in focus.

In 2024, I brought those experiences together and founded Erlinger Family Law to focus on helping families throughout Jacksonville, Duval County, Clay County, St. Johns County, and Nassau County.

But there is much more behind those 22 years—and I decided to tell the full story.

What did 22 years in Florida courtrooms actually teach me, and what could that experience mean when your children, finances, and future are at stake?

📖 Copy the link and read the full blog here:
https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/22-years-courtroom-blog.html

If you’re facing a divorce, child custody or time-sharing dispute, child support issue, modification, or another Florida family law matter, you don’t have to figure out your next step alone.

📞 (904) 742-9117
🌐 https://erlingerfamilylaw.com/
📅 Free first consultation available; book here:
https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min?month=2026-08

22 years. Both sides of the courtroom. Now, in your corner.

08/11/2026

"I sat in the parking lot of the courthouse for twenty minutes before I could make myself go in."

"By Monday morning I was Googling things I didn't even know how to phrase. By Tuesday I'd read 17 things that contradicted each other and still didn't know what to do first."

"I thought once I filed, things would start moving. Instead I felt like I was waiting for a train that was definitely coming, but nobody could tell me when."

⚠️ The thing people regret most
People who wait months before filing, hoping things will resolve, or feeling not ready, often discover that assets were quietly moved during that time.
A joint account drained. A business undervalued. Money transferred to a family member "as a loan."
The injunction that protects you does not exist until you file. Every week of delay before filing is a week where financial decisions can be made that are very hard to undo.

📖 Read the full article — every stage, every moment, the legal reality behind each one:
https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/what-divorce-is-really-like-blog.html

Not sure if you are ready to file? That is okay. Jennifer can tell you exactly what to do first.

Your first call is free — no commitment, no judgment, just clarity.

📞 (904) 742-9117
📅 https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min?month=2026-08

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08/06/2026

Happy Paralegal Day to our wonderful Michelle Lisenby! 💙⚖️

Behind every client call, every deadline, and every family navigating a difficult season is someone working hard to make sure nothing gets overlooked.

Thank you, Michelle, for your dedication, hard work, and the care you bring to our clients and our team every day. We truly appreciate everything you do! 💛

07/31/2026

You have been meaning to call. You keep saying next week. ⏰

But here is something nobody tells you — every week you wait on a family law matter, something is quietly being decided without you.

Here are the 5 real costs of waiting:

1️⃣ Temporary arrangements become permanent patterns — Florida courts treat 60-day routines as established facts
2️⃣ Marital assets can be moved to accounts you don't know about — before any legal protection kicks in
3️⃣ Every text, email, and social post you send right now can become evidence in a courtroom
4️⃣ The other side may already have an attorney building their case — while you think you are both "figuring it out"
5️⃣ You carry the weight of not knowing every single day — and that weight shows up everywhere in your life

Here is what changes the moment you make one call:

✅ You know exactly where you stand under Florida law
✅ Temporary orders protect your children's schedule and your assets
✅ The playing field levels immediately
✅ You stop guessing and start knowing

The most common thing Jennifer hears from new clients: "I wish I had called sooner."
Don't let that be you six months from now.
📖 Copy the link to read the full article here: https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/stop-waiting-blog.html

First call is FREE. No pressure. No commitment. Just real answers. 👇
📞 (904) 742-9117
📅 https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min?month=2026-08

Every week you delay calling a family law attorney, something is quietly being decided for you. Here is the real cost of waiting — and how one free call changes everything.

07/28/2026

Nobody talks about this part. 👇

Not the paperwork. Not the court dates. Not the legal process.

The part nobody talks about is the 2am Google spiral. The guilt about your kids. The terror about money. The anger that comes in waves. The way you tell everyone you are fine — when you are absolutely not fine.

If any of that sounds familiar — this article was written for you.

💬 "I feel like I failed my kids."
💬 "I am terrified about money, and I don't know how I'll survive."
💬 "I am so angry. And then I feel guilty for being angry."
💬 "I Googled everything at 2 a.m., and I'm more confused than before."
💬 "I keep telling people I'm fine. But I am not fine."

You are not alone. Thousands of families across Jacksonville, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, and Fernandina Beach are carrying these exact same feelings right now.

And here is what 22 years of family law has taught Jennifer:
The people who reach out — even when they are scared, even when they don't have it all figured out — are the ones who come out the other side with their futures intact.

We offer FREE consultations. No judgment. No pressure. Just real answers from someone who genuinely cares.

📖 Copy and Read the full article: https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/real-talk-family-law-blog.html
📞 (904) 742-9117
📅 https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min?month=2026-07

Tag someone who needs to read this today. 💙

07/20/2026

Something we don't say enough — but it's true: 👇

14,320 family law cases were filed in Duval County alone last year.

That means thousands of families right here in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, Fernandina Beach, and Fleming Island are going through exactly what you might be going through right now.

You are not alone. And you deserve real answers about what happens in YOUR county's courthouse.

We wrote this article specifically for families in:
📍 Duval County — Jacksonville and the Beaches
📍 Clay County — Fleming Island, Orange Park, Middleburg
📍 St. Johns County — Ponte Vedra, Nocatee, Fruit Cove
📍 Nassau County — Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Callahan

Inside you will find real situations real Northeast Florida families face — and exactly what to do before you make any decisions.

📖 Copy this Link and read it here: https://erlingerfamlaw.github.io/erlinger-blog/northeast-florida-family-law-blog.html

Your first call with Jennifer is completely FREE.
📞 (904) 742-9117
📅 https://calendly.com/assist-erlingerfamilylaw/30min
https://erlingerfamilylaw.com/

Tag someone in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Ponte Vedra, or Fernandina Beach who needs to see this.

07/14/2026

Thank you, Advanced ATC Inc., for returning as a Platinum Panther Partner for the 2026–2027 school year! We truly appreciate your support of the Nease community. 💚💛

⏰ Last chance! If you own a business and would like your logo featured on the back of the Freshman T-shirts, reach out to us today! The shirts go to print in 48 hours, and we don't want you to miss this opportunity.

Whether you're interested in a Platinum, Gold, or another partnership level, we'd love to have you join our Panther Partner family. Let's talk! https://neaseptso.givebacks.com/shop?category=284596

Thank you to all of our Panther Partners for investing in our students, teachers, and school community. We couldn't do it without you! 🐾