Putting What’s Best for Your Child First

Florida’s child custody laws place what is best for your child at the forefront. Although the relationship with your partner or spouse is ending, the relationship both parents have with a child should be maintained and nurtured.

Child Custody in Vero Beach FL

Most states use the term child custody/visitation, but since 2008 Florida law refers to it as time-sharing or shared parental responsibility. Shared parenting plans are court-approved agreements that explicitly state where and how much time a child spends with either parent. Depending on the circumstances, they can be simple and to the point or quite complex.

Time-sharing is not always a 50/50 split but rather is based on how the arrangement affects a child’s daily life. Considerations by the court include:

• Where the child is or will be going to school.
• Which parent will be primarily responsible for healthcare.
• Who will be responsible for daycare or after-school activities?
• How much time the visiting parent will have with the child.
• How the child will be communicated with.
• Other rights and responsibilities involved in child-rearing.

Florida courts encourage parents to come to an agreement on a parenting plan. When that’s not possible, the court makes an order dictating each parent’s responsibilities. Once a time-sharing agreement is in place, substantial and unanticipated changes in circumstances must take place before a modification can be made. That makes it extremely important to get such an agreement right the first time.

Child Custody Services at The Chesnutt Law Firm in Vero Beach FL.

Child custody or time-sharing is unfamiliar territory for many parents. The knowledgeable family law attorneys at the Chesnutt Law Firm in Vero Beach understand your legal rights and options that can help you prepare a case that has your child’s best interests at heart.

For help with child custody or other family law issues, contact our firm online or give us a call at 772-492-3330 for a private consultation.