UCF alumnus selected for Florida Supreme Court rules committee

UCF Political Science Alumnus and KEL Attorneys’ family law practice leader Brandon Tyson will serve on the Florida Supreme Court Family Law Rules Committee effective immediately. Tyson, a senior attorney who has been with the KEL law firm in Orlando for two years, said he sought the appointment because of the importance of these issues to his clients. 

Tyson said the subcommittee was created in response to a decision by the U.S. Supreme Court — Turner v. Rogers, 131 S. Ct. 2507, 180 L. Ed. 2d 452 (2011) [2011 BL 161240] — holding that while an individual does not have a right to counsel in a civil contempt proceeding, they are provided with “substitute procedural safeguards.” In this case, a father was incarcerated for not paying child support. Had the proper administrative safeguards been in place, he likely would have been able to demonstrate to the court that he could not afford his payments, thus avoiding incarceration.

“In the current economy, many parents may need to modify their support payments; and this is difficult to do without an attorney,” Tyson said. “This committee will make sure that the court forms are easy to understand and complete, which is especially important to defendants who either choose to represent themselves or cannot afford an attorney.”

You can read more about Tyson in his press release, which you can view here.