Disputes Over Jurisdiction in Divorce Cases
“Jurisdiction” is an impressive spelling bee word, but when you learn its meaning in elementary school, it does not make much sense. You have never had to think about what it is or is not the court’s business to decide, and it never crossed your mind that different courts might have authority over different things. In high school civics class, discussions of jurisdiction usually have to do with criminal cases, such as whether a criminal case goes through state or federal court. There is no family court equivalent of the federal criminal courts, so if your relationship with your spouse, and its eventual breakdown, crossed state lines, the family courts of the states involved must decide which of them is the proper venue for the divorce proceedings. After one court has dissolved the marriage, the courts of the state where the other spouse lives will domesticate the first court’s decision, in order to implement the parenting plan and, if applicable, and transfer of formerly marital property from one spouse to the other. If you and your estranged spouse disagree about whether your divorce case should take place in Florida, contact a Boca Raton divorce lawyer.
When Both Estranged Spouses File for Divorce in Their Respective States
You know you are old when the child actors of your youth, the ones who were your age when you watched their shows when you were a child, get married and divorced. It is most painful when the young celebs have been in the public eye all along; the oldest Millennials feel old every time the tabloid news reminds them that the sons of Britney Spears are adults, because in your mind, Britney Spears will always be a teen, and so will you.
Drake Bell, who once played roles on Home Improvement and Drake and Josh, has done an admirable job of keeping his marriage and divorce out of the spotlight. He married his wife Janet in 2018, but he did not publicize this fact until 2021, at which point he also announced that he and his wife have a son named Wyatt.
Drake and Janet separated sometime in 2023, also without social media fanfare. Janet filed for divorce in California in late 2023; presumably, Drake filed a response, or else the court would have granted Janet’s divorce petition by default. In the meantime, Drake moved to Mexico and then to Florida. In the summer of 2025, Drake filed for divorce from Janet in Seminole County, Florida. You can file for divorce in Florida as long as you have lived in Florida for at least six months, even if your spouse lives elsewhere. Before the couple’s divorce can become final, the courts must decide which state has jurisdiction.
Contact Schwartz | White About Divorce After a Long Separation
A South Florida family law attorney can help you if you separated from your spouse a long time ago and settled in Florida, and now you are ready to file for divorce. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Source:
theblast.com/714679/drake-bell-divorce-messy-dueling-filings/
