On May 13, 2021, the Fourth District Court of Appeal affirmed a father’s request for award of sanctions against the Mother. Kelley Kronenberg Partner Natalie S. Kay and the Family Law Attorneys represented the Father for several years in this post final judgment paternity action.
Ms. Kay successfully obtained the dismissal of an ex parte domestic violence injunction sought by the Mother on behalf of the minor child, against the Father. Despite the judge’s clear oral ruling dismissing the ex parte injunction, the Mother summoned law enforcement to her residence when the Father arrived to pick up his daughter as approved by the Court. Sadly, the Father was arrested for violation of a temporary injunction because the Judge’s oral ruling had not yet been entered in writing or placed on the Clerk’s docket. On a day when the Father should have enjoyed reuniting with his child, he instead spent the night in a jail cell. Thereafter, the Court ordered that the Mother’s time-sharing be temporarily suspended to allow for the Father to undo some of the damage the Mother had caused to the father-daughter relationship.
Given the frivolous and unsubstantiated claims made by the Mother that ultimately cost the Father approximately $80,000.00 in Attorney’s Fees to defend, Ms. Kay and the Family Law Attorneys filed a motion for Attorney’s Fees and Sanctions against the Mother for her bad faith actions. According to the court documents “The Respondent/Mother took some actions that she had no right and no authority to do and these actions created not only a palpable degree of underserved mental anguish upon the Petitioner/Father, but also significant financial costs to unwind the consequences of those actions and to preserve the Petitioner/Father’s legal rights in this case.”
On April 9, 2020, Judge Davis ordered the mother to pay $58,653.00 toward the reasonable and necessary attorney’s fees incurred by the Father in the proceedings, as well as $3,705.10 for reimbursement of costs related to payment of the child’s reunification therapist. The mother appealed this sanctions order, but the Order entered by Judge Davis was Affirmed on May 13, 2021. Ms. Kay also represented the father in the appellate case.
ABOUT KELLEY KRONENBERG
Kelley Kronenberg is a multi-practice business law firm with nearly 400 employees, more than 175 attorneys, and 12 locations throughout Florida and the United States. Founded in 1980, the firm is one of the fastest-growing law firms in Florida and amongst the largest in the U.S. The firm serves all types and sizes of public and private companies, including small businesses and individuals nationwide. Kelley Kronenberg has been recognized amongst the “Largest U.S. Law Firms” by the National Law Journal’s NLJ 500, Law 360 400, and Florida Trend in 2020, “America’s Top Corporate Law Firms” by Forbes and “Top 10” in NLJ’s “Women’s Scorecard” 2019. The firm has been the recipient of many accolades most recently including: “Best Multi-Practice Business Law Firm – USA,” Acquisition International; “Business of the Year,” “Top 100 Private Companies,” “Top Law Firms,” and “Largest Law Firms,” South Florida Business Journal; “Largest Law Firms,” Tampa Bay Business Journal, Orlando Business Journal, and Jacksonville Business Journal; “Biggest Law Firms in Florida,” Florida Trend; “Top 100 Law Firms,” South Florida Business & Wealth; Florida’s Largest Law Firms,” American Lawyer’s, Daily Business Review “Review 100;” and “Best Law Firms,” U.S. News – Best Lawyers®. The firm earned the 2021 Ragan’s Top Places to Work and Top Workplaces USA award by Energage and “Top Workplaces for Communication, Top Workplaces for Clued-In Leaders, Top Workplaces for Top Leaders, and Top Workplaces for Innovation.” Kelley Kronenberg has also been recognized as a “Top Workplace” by the Sun Sentinel and a “Best Place to Work” by the South Florida Business Journal for two consecutive years. For more information, visit www.kklaw.com.
