Florida Family Law Second Opinion
An independent expert read on the Florida divorce strategy you’re already paying for.
Before the next retainer, the next filing, or the next decision you can't undo. Written report. Two video calls. I never take over your case.
Carolan Family Law Firm, PA is a Miami-based Florida family law practice led by Aliette Hernandez Carolan. The Florida Family Law Second Opinion serves clients across Miami-Dade and Broward, with statewide online practice for any Florida-venued matter, from Tampa and Orlando to Jacksonville and the Panhandle.
22 yrs Florida family law · Forbes Legal Advisory Board · 30-day written report · Flat fee · EN · ES · Miami-Dade · Broward · Florida Statewide Online
Structural independence
Every other attorney reviewing your case has a financial incentive to find problems they can solve by litigating for you. I built this practice so that incentive doesn’t exist. I do not accept transfers of any case I have reviewed.
Monthly intake is capped by tier so each engagement gets the careful, independent read this work requires: one War Room engagement per month, and no more than four to five Active Case engagements. Foundation and High-Conflict slots are limited accordingly.
What it is
Stage 1
$750 Strategy Audit
5 business days
Conflict check, 45-min intake call, independent preliminary review. Within 5 business days you receive a written letter assigning your matter to a complexity band and quoting the flat fee for Stage 2. The $750 credits against the band fee if you proceed within 14 days.
Stage 2
Band Engagement
30 days standard
Full case review. Written report covering issue map, posture analysis, settlement-range realism, and strategic options. Two 30-minute video calls — mid-engagement and post-delivery debrief.
Pricing
Florida second opinion fees, by complexity band.
Band assigned after the $750 Strategy Audit, based on document volume, conflict level, and procedural posture. The $750 credits toward whichever band you're assigned.
Every band delivers the same thing
A written, portable, independent report you own — not a verbal recap. Take it to mediation, hand it to your counsel of record, or use it self-represented. The deliverable doesn't evaporate when our calls end.
Which is right for me? Want a document? → Second Opinion. Want an ongoing voice in your ear? → Retainer.
Foundation
$3,500
Pre-filing or early-stage. Organized record. One core strategic question. The only Second Opinion that delivers a written, portable strategic asset for buyers who aren't yet in court — and aren't ready for a monthly counsel relationship.
Most Common — Active Case $7,500
Active Case
$7,500
Active mid-case. Moderate document volume. Some conflict. Strategic question is about mediation prep, settlement posture, or next-phase tactics. Most clients land here.
High-Conflict
$15,000
Complex or high-conflict. Higher-value disputes. Multiple moving pieces. A major decision point — or a clear sense the current strategy isn't working.
War Room
Custom · starting at $20,000
350+ docket entries. Multi-front motion practice. Complex assets. Messy or contested record. Full attorney's re-read, scoped and quoted after the $750 audit based on document volume and posture.
Most clients land in Band B ($7,500). Band assignment is made by the attorney, not the client — and the $750 intake credits toward whichever band you're assigned.
Turnaround
- Standard: 30 days from countersignature.
- Expedited: 10 days. +$2,000.
- Rush: 5 days. +$3,500.
Faster lanes require all materials at countersignature and are subject to capacity. Flag your deadline at intake.
Who a Florida family law second opinion is for
- •People with active Florida family law matters — represented or self-represented, pre-filing or already in court — who want an independent attorney's read on strategy or settlement posture.
- •Self-represented Floridians weighing whether and how to file, who want an expert read on the case before they go to court alone.
- •People preparing for mediation, deposition, or final hearing who want strategic preparation independent of their counsel (or independent of their own instincts, if pro se).
- •People considering settlement and wanting a sanity check before signing.
- •People who feel something is off in their representation but aren't sure what.
- •People whose current attorney may be doing fine — and who want that confirmed, in writing, by an independent expert.
Who it's not for
- •People hoping I'll take over their case — I will not.
- •People wanting me to communicate with opposing counsel or appear at a hearing.
- •People in jurisdictions outside Florida.
What recent second opinion clients walked away with.
Miami-Dade · Custody · Band B
Identified three procedural issues counsel had not raised. Client used the report at mediation; matter resolved within 60 days.
Palm Beach · High-asset divorce · Band C
Pressure-tested an incoming settlement offer. Client renegotiated equitable distribution before signing.
Broward · Post-judgment modification · Band B
Independent strategic read on relocation posture. Client proceeded to mediation with the report in hand.
Outcomes are anonymized and reflect individual matters. The Florida Bar restricts what attorneys may publish about prior results — past outcomes do not guarantee or predict the outcome of any future matter.
What every second opinion includes
- •Intake review and document organization.
- •Issue map — every legally relevant issue identified and tracked.
- •Posture analysis — where the case stands strategically and procedurally.
- •Strategy options — review of current strategy and options for a different path.
- •Written report summarizing the case and strategy recommendation.
- •Two 30-minute video calls — one mid-engagement, one after report delivery.
Ready to begin?
Begin the $750 Strategy Audit →Overage
If material new content surfaces during the engagement that changes the scope — for instance, you upload additional records mid-review — overage is billed at $695 per hour, two-hour minimum due in advance. You decide if you wish to proceed before any surcharges apply.
If the matter looks like it will need ongoing strategic input rather than a one-time read, consider opting into a monthly Private Counsel instead — predictable monthly pricing with no hourly overage.
Outcome
You leave with a written, independent strategic read on your Florida case. Yours to share with current counsel, take to mediation, or use to make the next decision. The engagement ends at the debrief unless you choose a monthly Private Counsel.
What clients say
In their own words.
“Best money I could have spent!! I kept noticing that my case was getting more and more problematic, more expensive. A friend recommended Aliette. I learned she wasn't litigating anymore but she gave me a comprehensive second opinion report. I didn't tell my lawyer about it. I learned that I am in charge of my case so I told him what I wanted based on what Aliette told me. It's not over yet but it's like we turned down the temperature of the case. I saved twice as much as I paid Aliette and emotionally I feel more at peace.”
Verified client. Published with permission. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
Intake review · fine print
About the $750 intake credit.
Begin your Florida family law second opinion.
$750 audit. Written band assignment in 5 business days. Flat fee for the full engagement.
Audits are countersigned in order received. Monthly intake is capped — one War Room and four to five Active Case engagements per month.
How the four bands work
Pricing reflects depth of review.
After the strategy audit, I assign your matter to one band based on case complexity and document volume.
Band A
Foundation
$3,500
Pre-filing or early-stage. Organized record. One core strategic question. The only Second Opinion that delivers a written, portable strategic asset for buyers who aren't yet in court — and aren't ready for a monthly counsel relationship.
Band B
Active Case
$7,500
Active mid-case. Moderate document volume. Some conflict. Strategic question is about mediation prep, settlement posture, or next-phase tactics. Most clients land here.
Band C
High-Conflict
$15,000
Complex or high-conflict. Higher-value disputes. Multiple moving pieces. A major decision point — or a clear sense the current strategy isn't working.
Band D
War Room
Custom · starting at $20,000
350+ docket entries. Multi-front motion practice. Complex assets. Messy or contested record. Full attorney's re-read, scoped and quoted after the $750 audit based on document volume and posture.
Most clients land in Band B ($7,500). Band assignment is made by the attorney, not the client — and the $750 intake credits toward whichever band you're assigned.
Turnaround at a glance
Standard 30 days · Expedited 10 days (+$2,000) · Rush 5 days (+$3,500)
Expedited and Rush add-ons are charged at countersignature and are non-refundable once work begins.