JESSICA WRIGHT LAW

03/23/2026

Are you looking for a position as an attorney in the Sarasota/Manatee County, FL area, or know someone who is?
Associate needed 30 to 40 hours a week for a hybrid position (mostly appearing for hearings on Zoom; trials in person). Dependency law experience helpful but not required. Competitive pay & great benefits. Message me privately if interested, please, & I’ll pass the info along. Thanks!

12/05/2025

After the champagne is popped symbolizing the start of 2026, a few new laws will take effect in Florida.

06/15/2025

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads! Thank you for the many important things you have done or still do. ❤️

01/05/2025

Happy New Year! 🎊
Be in the know about the nine new laws that took effect here in Florida on January 1st. They include banning children under 14 from having social media accounts, consequences for threatening or harassing first responders and more. Take a look:

By Nancy Gay, News Reporter in
TAMPA

1. Online Protection for Minors

Under this law, regulated social media platforms are prohibited from allowing anyone under 14 to hold an account. It allows minors who are 14 or 15 years old to become account holders, but only with the consent of a parent or guardian.
The bill also requires regulated social media platforms to close accounts belonging to anyone younger than 14. However, it does allow the account holders or their parents or guardians to terminate the accounts.
Social media platforms must permanently delete all personal information held by them relating to terminated accounts unless otherwise required by law to maintain the personal information.
Click here to read more.

2. Threatening first responders

Under this law, anyone who is told by a working first responder not to approach must stay 25 feet away and not:
• Impede or interfere with the first responder’s ability to perform such duty
• Threaten the first responder with physical harm
• Harass the first responder
It is a second-degree misdemeanor to violate the law.

3. Voter Registration Applications

Under this law, registered voters can only change their party affiliation if they designate and agree to the change in writing.

The bill also changes the voter-registration duties of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) by:
• Prohibiting the DHSMV from changing the party affiliation of an applicant who is updating his or her voter registration record unless the applicant designates and consents in writing to change his or her party affiliation.
• Requiring the DHSMV to, after verifying voter registration information and receiving the applicant’s electronic signature, provide the applicant with a printed receipt that includes the submitted voter registration information and documents any changes in party affiliation.
• Requiring the DHSMV to ensure that technology processes and updates do not alter an applicant’s party affiliation without the written consent of the applicant.

4. Building Regulations

This law sets timeframes for local governments to process building permit applications and to notify permit applicants of any deficiencies.
Among other things, it also changes the eligibility requirements a person must meet to take an examination for certification as a building code inspector or plans examiner.

5. Medical Treatment Under the Workers’ Compensation Law

This law increases how much health care providers can be paid while giving a deposition and changes reimbursement allowances for doctors and surgical procedures.

6. Protection of Specified Adults
The law provides additional protection for specified adults (a person who is 65 years or older or a vulnerable adult) who have accounts with financial institutions and may be victims of suspected financial exploitation.

7. Dental Insurance Claims

The law changes provisions within the Florida Insurance Code relating to covered dental services, contractual agreements, and dental claims payments by a health insurer, prepaid limited health service organization (PLHSO), or a health maintenance organization (HMO).

8. Florida Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act

This bill replaces the current Florida Uniform and Principal Income Act with the Florida Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act, which:
• Allows for total-return investing under the "modern portfolio theory."
• Provides for the conversion of an existing trust into a unitrust.
• Provides flexibility for more individualized estate planning.
• Provides a governing law provision to reduce jurisdictional disputes.

9. Update to laws governing Private Activity Bonds

This law updates state statutes on private activity bonds. Among other things, it:
• Provides legislative intent to maximize the annual use of private activity bonds to finance improvements, projects, and programs serving public purposes and benefitting the social and economic well-being of Floridians;
• Revises the regions, pools, and timelines related to bond allocations to consolidate infrequently used pools and expedite usage of bonds;
• Allows for all volume cap allocated in a confirmation to be entitled to be carried forward, rather than limiting it to specific types of projects or basing it on the amount of the confirmation;
• Replaces the existing processes for requesting and granting allocation of volume cap with an electronic application wherein all notices and issuance reports will be submitted on the division’s website instead of through certified/overnight mail.

10/20/2024

🙈

07/19/2024

Every once in a while I reshare this story.

To be prepared, and to listen.
I think those are the most important tasks of a lawyer in a family law practice like mine. People often make an appointment to get information and feel out their options with someone who knows how the law would apply to their issue and circumstance. So it's important to really listen to them.
A few years ago, a man came to see me to start divorce proceedings. He had a lot of good questions, and I tried to answer each of them thoroughly. At the end of the hour, I said, "So, now that you know what to expect from a legal standpoint, why don't you come back and see me again in a month or so, if you still want me to file this?"
He looked up from the check he was writing, surprised. "Are you - booked until then?" he said. "Or - you don't want the case?'
I assured him I had enough time and that I’d be glad to take it, but that I wasn't sure he really wanted to get a divorce. We sat there a moment in awkward silence. Then he put his checkbook away and stood up slowly. "Thank you for catching that," he said. "I think you are right."

06/16/2024

Happy Father’s Day!

12/23/2023

09/22/2023

Sharing this great information from a friend of a friend! She writes,
I spoke to people getting food at a food bank and here are some things I learned from those in need:

1.) Everyone donates Kraft Mac ‘n Cheese in the box, but recipients can rarely use it because it requires milk & butter, which is hard to get from regular food banks.
2.) Boxed milk is a treasure, since kids need it for cereal, which they also get a lot of from food banks.
3.) Everyone donates pasta sauce & spaghetti noodles.
4.) They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies & soup unless you put a can-opener in, too, or buy pop-top vegetable cans.
5.) Cooking oil is a luxury, but needed for Rice a-Roni (which they also get a lot of), etc.
6.) Spices or salt & pepper are a real gift.
7.) Teabags & coffee make them feel like you care.
8.) Sugar & flour are treats.
9.) They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers & grocery stores.
10.) Seeds are cool in the spring & the summer, because growing can be easy for some.
11.) They rarely get fresh meat.
12.) Tuna & healthy, whole-grain crackers make a good lunch.
13.) Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef. 😳
14.) They get a lot of peanut butter & jelly, but usually not sandwich bread. (JRW addition: Try for healthy whole grain! Rye, pumpernickel, oat bread, whole wheat, etc.)
15.) Butter & margarine are super nice, too.
16.) Fresh eggs are a real commodity.
17.) Cake mix & frosting make it possible to make a child’s birthday cake.
18.) Dishwashing detergent (to hand-wash dishes or the kind for the dishwasher) is very expensive but always appreciated.
19.) Feminine hygiene products are a luxury, & women will cry over them.
20.) Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing. 💜

In all the years I’ve donated to the local food bank, I bought what I thought they wanted, but never asked. Maybe this can help us all to tailor it more.