Parents who are in the middle of a divorce, as well as those planning to separate from their spouses, are required by law to create a parenting plan. Florida Statute § 61.13 details the specific issues that parenting plans must address, which include the following.
- How the parents share the responsibility for daily tasks associated with their children’s upbringing;
- A time-sharing schedule designating how much time each parent spends with the minor;
- A designation of who will be responsible for any and all forms of health care, school-related matters including the address to be used for school-boundary determination and registration, and other activities; and
- The methods and technologies that the parents will use to communicate with the child.
Please note that even if each of the parents agrees to a time-sharing schedule and the terms of a parenting plan, they must receive court approval to legitimize the plan.
Parenting plans also detail how a court assesses the suitability of any proposed arrangement. In order to ensure that the strict legal standards are fulfilled and that you obtain the best possible result for you and your child, it is advisable to have a competent family law attorney at your side, who can provide you with assistance every step of the way.
What Is A Parenting Plan?
Florida law establishes a presumption that it’s in the best interest of a child to have frequent and continuing contact with both parents who share in the child-rearing. The best interests of the child are the standards by which all decisions regarding time-sharing, custody, and visitation are measured. Although the norm is that the court will order 50-50 shared parental responsibility, a court may award sole parental responsibility if evidence of child abuse or other types of domestic violence is presented with respect to a parent.
In addition, a criminal conviction of crimes involving violence or child abuse creates a rebuttable presumption that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the child. For more information, contact us to schedule a consultation with one of our Gainesville attorneys.
Common Types Of Parenting Plans
Parenting plans can be adjusted to meet the needs of the child as well as the means and schedule of each parent. Common examples of parenting plans include the following.
- 50/50 Schedules
- Alternating Weeks
- 2 Weeks Each
- Alternating Every 2 Days
- 60/40 Schedules
- Every Extended Weekend
- 70/30 Schedules
- Every Weekend
- Every 3rd Week
- Every 3rd Day
Do I Need A Lawyer To Create A Parenting Plan?
The establishment of a workable parenting plan is critical to the success of raising your child in the manner you believe is best. In order to obtain court approval, it is necessary to present your plan in the best possible manner in light of the many factors the court is required to consider. A lawyer can help you develop a parenting that takes into consideration both the needs of the child in question and the circumstances of the parents.
The Gainesville divorce lawyers with Silverman and Mack, LLC have handled hundreds of child custody cases and can help you make this process as easy as possible. Contact us today to schedule a case consultation.
