When your family’s future is at stake in Monroe County, you deserve more than a form letter and a fee quote. Kalish & Jaggars, PLLC is a South Florida family law firm built around a single promise: that every person who comes through our door leaves with real answers, a clear plan, and an honest picture of what comes next. Our entire practice is family law, which means when you sit down with us, you are talking to attorneys whose focus is the same situation you are in right now.
Kalish & Jaggars serves Monroe County clients from our West Palm Beach main office, located at 2161 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 302. We meet with Keys clients in person, by video, and by phone, so geography does not limit your access to experienced family law counsel.
Schedule a free consultation: call (561) 709-6488 or book a time online. Our consultations are designed to give you real legal guidance, not a sales pitch.
Family Law We Handle in Monroe County
If you are facing a family law matter in the Florida Keys, here is what our firm handles:
- Divorce: Florida requires equitable distribution of marital assets, and the outcome of a contested case turns on the financial facts specific to your marriage. Keys divorces can involve distinctive asset questions — maritime property, vacation rentals, and waterfront real estate among them. We handle contested and uncontested divorce, including high-asset and financially complex cases.
- Child Custody and Timesharing: Florida’s statutory framework requires every parenting plan to serve the best interests of the child under the factors in §61.13. Shared-custody logistics in Monroe County often span significant distances along US-1. We handle parenting plan negotiation, establishment, modification, and enforcement. Parenting plans in the Keys often require more specifically than mainland plans, shared timesharing across significant driving distances demands scheduling clarity that standard templates do not always provide.
- Child Support: Florida’s income shares model under §61.30 governs initial child support calculations. We handle initial support orders, modifications when income or circumstances change, and enforcement when payments stop.
- Alimony and Spousal Support: Florida’s 2023 alimony statute significantly restructured spousal support, eliminating permanent alimony and revising durational limits based on the length of the marriage. We handle all forms of support analysis, negotiation, modification petitions, and termination proceedings under the current law.
- Property Division: Equitable distribution under §61.075 requires careful identification of what is marital versus non-marital property. Monroe County cases frequently involve waterfront property, boat assets, fishing and charter businesses, and vacation rental income streams. We handle the full scope of asset and debt division.
- Paternity: Florida’s paternity statutes under Chapter 742 establish enforceable parental rights once legal fatherhood is determined, including timesharing rights and support obligations. We handle establishment proceedings and all related parental rights matters.
- Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: A well-drafted marital agreement that defines financial boundaries before conflict arises can prevent the most costly disputes. We handle drafting and review of agreements built to meet Florida’s enforceability requirements.
Monroe County Communities We Serve
Monroe County stretches across one of Florida’s most distinctive geographies: the Florida Keys and portions of the Everglades. We serve clients throughout the county. The community names below will become direct links to city-level pages as the firm’s site architecture grows.
The Florida Keys
Key West, Key Largo, Marathon, Islamorada, Big Pine Key, Tavernier, Duck Key, Cudjoe Key, Summerland Key, Sugarloaf Key, Stock Island, Layton, Plantation Key, Windley Key, Conch Key, Long Key, Grassy Key, Little Torch Key, Big Torch Key, No Name Key
Clients traveling from Homestead and Florida City — the mainland gateway to the Florida Keys — are within our service area and are welcome to reach us directly.
If your community is not listed, call us to confirm coverage. Monroe County clients are served by our team regardless of which Key or unincorporated area they call home.
Greater Miami and Brickell
Miami, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest, Palmetto Bay
Miami Beach and the Barrier Islands
Miami Beach, Surfside, Bay Harbor Islands, Bal Harbour, North Bay Village
North Miami-Dade
North Miami, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Miami Lakes, Opa-locka, Miami Gardens, Miami Shores
West Miami-Dade
Doral, Sweetwater, Kendale Lakes, Kendall, Tamiami, Westchester, West Miami, Medley, Virginia Gardens
South Miami-Dade
Homestead, Florida City, Cutler Bay, Leisure City, Richmond Heights, Goulds, Perrine, Naranja
Miami Keys and Coastal Communities
Key Biscayne, Virginia Key, Biscayne Park
If your neighborhood is not listed, call us and we will confirm. Most Miami-Dade communities fall within our service area.
Additional Counties We Serve
In addition to Monroe County, Kalish & Jaggars serves clients in the following counties, primarily by virtual appointment and by phone, with in-person meetings available as needed:
Where You Are, Where Your Case Is Heard
Kalish & Jaggars Office
West Palm Beach
2161 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd
Suite 302
West Palm Beach, FL 33409
Primary Service Area
Monroe County (and Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade counties)Courthouse
Monroe County Courthouse
(16th Judicial Circuit)
302 Fleming St.
Key West, FL 33040
Monroe County family law cases are filed and heard in the 16th Judicial Circuit at the Monroe County Courthouse in Key West. The family law division handles divorce, custody, support, and paternity matters. Clients in the Upper Keys are geographically closer to Homestead and Miami-Dade courts, but Monroe County cases follow the 16th Circuit. We serve Monroe County clients remotely and coordinate all filings through the appropriate courthouse.
Why Monroe County Families Trust Kalish & Jaggars
The first call is not a sales call.
When you reach out to us, the conversation is about your situation, not about closing you on a retainer. Our consultation walks through what you are actually facing, what Florida law says about it, and hands you a clear roadmap before you leave. You will walk away with a clearer picture of your options. That is the standard we hold every consultation to.
We build each case from the facts that are actually in front of us.
Monroe County divorces and custody disputes can involve issues specific to the Keys: maritime assets, vacation rental properties, fishing and boating businesses, and shared-custody logistics across a long stretch of highway. We do not hand you a template. We ask the questions that surface the details that shape the strategy.
You will always know where your case stands.
Being kept in the dark is one of the most common frustrations clients describe before switching attorneys. We address that directly: regular updates, accessible attorneys, and a case process that is explained to you in plain English before we take any step. When something changes, you hear from us first.
We handle cases that do not fit a standard template.
High-asset divorces, disputes involving offshore or vacation property, complex custody arrangements across long distances, and cases with contested paternity all require more than a fill-in-the-blank approach. Our team is built to work through the complexity without either rushing past it or making it feel insurmountable.
No outcome guarantees. Only preparation.
We will not tell you what a judge will decide. We will tell you what the law says, what the strongest arguments are, and how we intend to present your case. Transparency about risk is part of what we owe you. That honesty is the same thing that makes our clients feel prepared walking into a courtroom or mediation.
Ready to talk? Call (561) 709-6488 or contact us for a no-pressure consultation.
What to Expect When You Call
What to Expect When You Call
Our consultation process is straightforward and built around three things you need before any decisions get made:
- We listen first. Tell us what is happening. The short version is fine, and we will ask the questions that matter.
- We explain what Florida law says. In plain English. No lecture, no scare tactics, no pressure.
- We map the next step. You will leave the consultation with a clear sense of what comes next: filing, responding, gathering records, or pausing to think it through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will my Monroe County family law case be filed?
Monroe County family law cases are filed with the 16th Judicial Circuit Court, located at the Monroe County Courthouse at 302 Fleming St. in Key West. Depending on your ZIP code within Monroe County, certain filing logistics and administrative processing may vary, even though venue remains within the same circuit. All divorce, custody, support, and paternity matters for Monroe County residents go through this circuit, regardless of which island or community you live in.
Do I have to travel to Key West or to your office to work with Kalish & Jaggars?
No. While our main office is in West Palm Beach, Monroe County clients are regularly served by video conference and phone. We can handle the full scope of your case remotely. If an in-person visit is beneficial at any point, we will let you know and work out the logistics with you.
My spouse recently moved out of Florida. Does that change where my case is filed?
Florida courts retain jurisdiction over your case if you remain a Florida resident and the marriage occurred here or your children have lived here. Interstate matters add complexity, but they do not necessarily move your case out of Monroe County. This is one of the first things we address in a consultation.
How much does it cost to hire a family law attorney in the Keys?
Family law fees vary based on the complexity of the case, how contested it is, and how much time is required. We discuss fees openly during the consultation so you understand the likely range before you commit to anything. Our goal is that there are no financial surprises.
I am not sure yet whether I need an attorney or just some advice. Can I still call?
Yes. The consultation is exactly the right place to start. We have spoken with many people who came in uncertain about whether they needed legal help and left with a clear picture of their options, with no pressure to hire. You can decide what to do with the information we give you.
Does it matter which part of Monroe County I live in?
Not for how your case is handled. Whether you are in Key West, Marathon, Key Largo, or an unincorporated area of the Keys, your case goes before the 16th Circuit. We serve the full county and will confirm coverage for any location you ask about.
Talk to a Monroe County Family Law Attorney
Our Monroe County family law attorneys understand the 16th Circuit’s filing requirements and the procedural path through a Florida Keys family law case. We know how family law plays out in Florida courts, and we know how to explain it to clients who are facing it for the first time. Before you make any decisions, get the full picture.
At Kalish & Jaggars, every strategy meeting is built to leave you with a clear picture of your legal options and what Florida law says about your situation — before you commit to anything.
Our West Palm Beach family law office is the primary contact point for Monroe County clients. Evening and weekend appointments are available, and we are reachable around the clock.
Call (561) 709-6488 or schedule a consultation online. Evening and weekend appointments are available, and we are reachable 24/7.
