Fort Lauderdale Parenting & Timesharing Lawyer
Parental Responsibility and Time-Sharing in Florida Divorces and Custody Disputes
When a couple is separating or divorcing, the issue of how they will share parenting responsibilities and time with their children is paramount. At the law offices of Trachman & Ballot-Lena, PA, our experience and expertise in Florida divorce and family law enables us to provide knowledgeable and sensitive assistance to help you devise a parenting plan that works, and to provide strong and effective representation in court when necessary to protect the rights of you and your children to a parenting plan and timeshare that meets your needs. Contact our experienced Fort Lauderdale parenting & timesharing lawyers today for help throughout Broward County.
Facts about Parental Responsibility and Time-Sharing in Fort Lauderdale Divorces
When the spouses cannot agree on a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule, the judge will have to decide the matter after hearing evidence and arguments from both sides. The judge will decide not only which parent has custody of the children and when, but also which parent is responsible for making decisions regarding the children’s upbringing, or whether this responsibility will be shared in some fashion. The policy of the state of Florida is for both parents to share in the parenting process, unless it would not be in the child’s best interest to allow contact with a parent, such as in the case of domestic violence, for example.
When deciding parental responsibility and time-sharing, the judge decides what arrangement will be in the best interest of the child or children. Although the best interest of the children is the primary consideration for the court, many other factors will come into play to help the judge make this decision. In fact, Florida family law sets out 20 different factors for judges to consider. These include:
- How well each parent has demonstrated the capacity to follow the time-sharing schedule and be reasonable when changes are needed
- How parental responsibilities will be divided after the divorce
- Whether the parent can put the child’s needs ahead of his or her own
- The need to keep the child in a stable environment, such as continuing to live in the same home
- The geographic viability of the parenting plan
- The moral fitness of each parent and their physical and mental health
- A child’s reasonable preference, depending on the child’s age and maturity level
- How well each parent is involved in the child’s life and knowledgeable about such things as the child’s friends, teachers, doctors, interests, hobbies, etc.
- How well each parent will be able to communicate with the other parent on matters related to the child
How Our Fort Lauderdale Family Law Attorneys can Help
When issues of parenting and time-sharing are contested, we bring years of courtroom experience to bear in preparing and presenting a strong case that delivers valuable information to the judge on all the statutory factors.
Litigation is not always the only or best way to decide on parenting and time-sharing. If the parents are able to work together to create the plan themselves, the arrangement is much more likely to meet the needs of both parents as well the children, and to be voluntarily implemented without either side being forced to go back to court to enforce court orders on custody, visitation, etc. Our firm’s lawyers include certified mediators as well as attorneys qualified to practice collaborative family law. We can help you avoid hostile or drawn-out litigation by working collaboratively to develop a parenting plan that meets your needs and will be approved by the court. Florida law requires that parenting plans be detailed and comprehensive. The more complete a plan, the more effective it will be. At a minimum, a parenting plan must address all of the following:
- How the parents will share responsibility for the daily tasks associated with raising a child
- Specify how much time the child will spend with each parent and when
- Set out which parent will be responsible for making decisions and taking actions regarding health care, schooling, extracurricular and other activities
- Detail the methods and technologies each parent will use to communicate with the child
Let Our Experienced Florida Family Law Attorneys Help with the Parenting & Time-Sharing Issues in Your Broward County Divorce
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