FAMILY LAW | ESTATE PLANNING | ELDER LAW

Your Family Law Firm

YOUR FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

We are focused exclusively on family law matters in and around Okaloosa and Walton County, Florida. This includes divorce cases, adoptions, actions to modify family law judgments, and the enforcement of family law orders, as well as estate planning, probate, and elder law matters. Understanding the delicate nature of family law cases, we balance compassion with tenacity to ensure the best possible outcome. With twenty years of knowledge and experience, we stand ready to fight for you and your family in your time of need.

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10 best law firm
9.7Andrew Donald Wheeler

DIVORCE

We will provide you with support during this time of transition, and guide you through the case from start to finish. Throughout the process, we will fight for your rights, whether those rights involve custody of children, asset protection, alimony, or other issues that affect you and your family. We understand that the result of your divorce case can affect you in deeply personal ways, and we will be there every step of the way.

ESTATE PLANNING

A strong estate plan will give you security in life and at death. With a comprehensive estate plan, you can confirm your testamentary wishes and have confidence that your family will be secure upon your death.

ADOPTION

Driven to help secure healthy, nurturing, and permanent homes for Walton and Okaloosa County children of all ages, we proudly represent families in all types of adoption proceedings. From relative adoption, step-parent adoption, grandparent adoption and same-sex parent adoption, we help your family by eliminating the confusion and hassle, allowing you to enjoy the adoption process.

ELDER LAW

Aggressively advocating for the rights of seniors and caretakers, we work to protect the financial interests, health, and safety of your elderly family members. We represent Okaloosa and Walton County clients who need assistance with guardianship, estate planning, and long-term care matters and other elder law matters. We are committed to assisting you and your family gain the protection and security that you need.

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In a divorce case, you need to protect yourself, your children and your assets. Therefore, whether your case involves minor children and a parenting plan, child support and alimony, valuable assets or a Florida business, you will need experienced representation on your side. We help clients transition to a secure life after the divorce. We are here to help you navigate the legal system and we will aggressively protect your legal rights.


DIVORCE AND FAMILY LAW IN OKALOOSA AND WALTON COUNTY

Divorce is a complicated process. It can appear to be wrapped in red tape and it is, ironically, much harder than getting married. There are numerous steps along the way, from the filing of a divorce petition to the entry of a final judgment. Some divorces are uncontested and simple, others are hotly contested and require intense litigation. Then, on top of all that, there’s the emotional impact of such a life-changing event to contend with, which is an entirely different and very personal issue. The divorce process has steps within steps that unfold over time as you build your case and present your case to the court. Together, we at the Wheeler Firm can guide you through the divorce process with confidence.

The Divorce Process

We draft all of the documentation needed to complete the divorce, guiding you every step of the way. The divorce will begin with the filing of a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage. The case needs to be filed in the county where you and your spouse live, or where you lived as a married couple. Your spouse must then be served with the petition so they can file an Answer. The Answer responds to the petition by either admitting or denying the allegations contained in the petition. If the divorce is filed as an uncontested divorce (the parties agree on the terms of divorce), a Final Judgment can be entered at any time 20 days after the petition was filed. If the parties do not agree, evidence will be collected by the attorneys, mediation will occur to try and reach a settlement, and if no settlement is reached, the case will proceed to trial. At trial, the judge will decide all issues related to your case.

From this standpoint, the process may seem simple. However, a large amount of work will need to be done to gather and organize the evidence in a way that is persuasive to the judge. We’re here to help! Over many years, we have helped countless clients with all aspects of the divorce process, including child custody determinations in parenting plans, child support, equitable distribution of marital assets and liabilities, and alimony. If you want to learn more about the divorce process or any other family law case, and how the Wheeler Firm can help, please contact us.

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ESTATE PLANNING & ELDER LAW

The need for elder law practitioners has grown due to the growing number of people who live much longer than one would have expected less than a half century ago. As we age, we encounter unique legal issues that only present themselves in our later years. We at the Wheeler Firm have a great deal of knowledge and experience in this area of the law and we can help you resolve these unique legal matters.

Have a Plan to Protect Yourself and Your Family

Whether you need a strong estate plan, to petition for guardianship over a loved one, to apply for Medicaid to pay for a nursing home, or any other matter specific to elder law rights, you need an experienced elder law attorney. Through thoughtful guidance, you can plan for incapacity through a durable power of attorney or a healthcare surrogate document, establish a Last Will and Testament to dispose of your estate at death, and plan for long-term care planning so the government does not cause you to lose your assets in the event you need nursing home care. We can help you in all of these areas and so much more.

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ADOPTION SERVICES

Adoption is an exciting step in life! The legal procedures to secure an adoption of a child can be complicated, like most family law cases, but we take the guesswork out of the process. The process looks like more of a burden than it really is, and with the professionals at the Wheeler Firm behind you, you’ll be able to move past the legal hurdles with ease.

The first step in an adoption is terminating the parental rights of the child’s birth parents. Termination of parental rights, it should be noted, can be either voluntary or involuntary. If the parents consent to the adoption, their rights can be terminated quickly with a short court hearing. If they contest, the petitioner for adoption will need to prove that the contesting parent has failed to maintain a meaningful relationship with the child such that the parent’s rights should be terminated even without their consent. Once that is done, a judge will issue a decree that permanently severs all parental rights to the child and then the child is available for adoption.

We help adopting parents adopt children in a variety of cases, including stepparent adoptions, adoptions by other family members, adoptions by individuals who are unrelated to the child, international adoptions, adoptions of children who are in foster care, and agency adoptions where a child was located through an adoption agency.

If you have questions about the adoption process or if you need an attorney to help you begin your adoption journey, please reach out to us!

Testimonials

"The Best Attorney"

If you need a person on your side, that will stand by you and fight, look no further. Andrew and his team included are fast to get back to you when you need them, even on Christmas eve. Andrew knows how... Read More

— Tiffany

"Confident And Encouraging"

I have all ready recommended Andrew Wheeler to several people that asked about my divorce experience. Andrew was a large source of confidence and calm in a 2 year long battle. He was very confident and... Read More

— Rogina

"The Best!"

I am currently going through a yucky divorce and Andrew has been AMAZING! He made me feel comfortable the very first time I met him. He is very knowledgeable, honest, understanding, down to earth but... Read More

— LT

WHY CHOOSE US?

Led by experienced family law attorney, Andrew D. Wheeler, The Wheeler Firm is committed to the protection and security of every client. We work to ease the stress of family law litigation, protect our client’s interests, and focus on proven results. With more than 20 years of experience litigating every form of family law case, and representing thousands of individuals and their families, we promise exceptional representation and advocacy.