Blog

NEGATIVE EQUITY ON A CAR LOAN: WHAT IT REALLY MEANS AND HOW TO CLIMB OUT

This past week, alone, an unusually high number of people came to me with car-loan situations that can only be described as horrific. Some were so deeply underwater—owing tens of thousands more than their vehicles...

FLORIDA DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INJUNCTIONS: WHAT RESPONDENTS NEED TO KNOW

If a process server just handed you paperwork with a courthouse seal on it, you’re probably scared, confused, and short on time. That reaction is normal. A domestic violence injunction — sometimes called a restraining...

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE DEFENSE

Facing a domestic violence charge or injunction in Florida? Attorney Joseph M. Dobkin has practiced law in Miami-Dade County since 1984, personally handling every case with direct, hands-on attention. Florida treats criminal charges and protective...

UNDERWATER ON YOUR CAR? A LEASE MAY BEAT FINANCING ANOTHER PURCHASE

As a consumer protection attorney, I regularly advise clients who owe more on their car than it's worth. If you're in that spot, how you handle the next vehicle matters — and a lease is...

SERVED WITH A BOGUS TEMPORARY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE INJUNCTION IN FLORIDA? 10 THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW

Getting served with a Temporary Injunction for Protection Against Domestic Violence can feel like the ground just dropped out from under you — especially if you believe the allegations are false or exaggerated. In Florida,...

CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR CAR IS NOW A ROOMMATE YOU HAVE TO PAY EVERY MONTH

You bought the car. You financed it for six years, you insured it, you paid the sales tax, and one day you will hand someone the title. And yet, somehow, the seat warmer is not...

How Catastrophic Injuries Devastate Daily Life: Challenges Victims Face and the Legal Pathways Forward

Catastrophic injuries inflict permanent, life-altering damage that shatters independence, careers, relationships, and emotional well-being. Conditions like traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord damage, amputations, severe burns, and organ failure force victims to rebuild every aspect...

FREDDIE MAC EXCLUSIONARY LIST: WHAT IT MEANS AND HOW TO MOVE FORWARD

You’re Not Finished. You’re Restricted. Being placed on the Freddie Mac Exclusionary List—or a Fannie Mae equivalent—doesn’t end your career. But it does block access to conventional loans nationwide. Often without clear explanation. And without...

WHAT NOBODY TELLS YOU ABOUT HIRING– AND ACTUALLY WORKING WITH–A LAWYER

Most people meet a lawyer for the first time on one of the worst days of their life: a lawsuit lands, a business deal falls apart, a family situation blows up. It’s not exactly a...

Florida Probate Just Got Simpler: Major Changes to Summary Administration Effective July 1, 2026 As a Florida probate attorney who has guided countless families through the often overwhelming process of settling a loved one’s estate,...