Child Custody Attorney
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Child Custody Attorney
Custody Attorneys Providing Long-Term Custody Stability
Child custody is the most contentious aspect of any divorce, as it should be. Custody, also called Time Sharing, determines how parents will raise their children and can affect their future well-being.
The Summerfield Law Office takes child custody and visitation disputes seriously. We understand the considerable impact of custody issues on a family’s emotional stability and prioritize the child’s emotional health in custody cases.
Our Florida custody lawyers offer unique strategies to improve your family’s position.
How Can Summerfield Law Office's child Custody Attorneys Help Me?
We fight for the child and the family when negotiating child custody agreements. We want to make a fair arrangement for the kids and both parents.
Florida courts operate under the premise that a child having both parents, equally, in the vast majority of cases, is ideal for the children’s emotional well-being. While we recognize that this is not always the case, we design equitable solutions that allow both parents to work together to as great an extent as practical or possible for their children.
In Florida, how is child custody or time sharing determined?
Courts take into account a number of factors when deciding which parent will have child custody, which is the primary custodian with whom the child will live for the majority of his or her childhood. These factors include the child’s health, safety, emotional, and developmental needs, as well as the moral character of the parent.
What are a child’s best interests?
- Parents and legal guardians must be able to show how they will put the child’s needs and wishes ahead of their own.
- How will the child’s time be split between the parents after the divorce? How much time will the child spend with a third party, like a grandparent or a babysitter?
- How has each parent or legal guardian shown in the past that the care and decisions made for the child were in the child’s best interest?
- How long has the child lived in a stable, healthy environment, and whether or not this environment should stay the same?
- The parents or legal guardians’ sense of right and wrong.
- The parents’ and legal guardians’ physical and mental health.
- How did the child act and do at home, school, and community in the past?
- Think about what an intelligent child understands and knows enough to make good decisions for themselves would want.
- How well does a parent or legal guardian know a child? Who are some of their friends? What do they like to do for fun? What do they like to eat?
- Show that routines like meals, homework, bedtime, and discipline follow a pattern.
- Show that both parents are willing to respect each other, especially regarding what’s best for their child. For example, how will they talk to each other, and will they agree on what is best for their child or children?
- Is there any proof that a parent or legal guardian has abused, neglected, abandoned, or sexually abused a child in the past or is doing so now?
- Proof that a party lied about actions in section (m).
- Have parenting tasks been done well before the trial, and do you think this will continue after the trial? This is important for everyone who will be legally responsible for the child.
- Show that you care about your child’s school and activities outside of school, both in the past and now.
- Show how each caretaker will ensure that there is no drug use in the child’s environment.
- Show that each parent or legal guardian will not talk to the child about the case or show the child paperwork about timesharing. Also, each parent must agree to talk about the other parent positively in front of the child.
- Ensure that each parent and legal guardian knows where the child is in their development and what the child will need next.
- All of the essential things that were thought to be important when making a specific parenting plan and timesharing schedule
COVID-19 Affects Florida Child Custody And Family Law.
COVID-19 has affected Florida family law and courts. Parents may struggle to co-parent with a parent who doesn’t share their views on social distance, mask-wearing, and parenting time during the epidemic. Despite changing rules, parents must still follow court directives.
Florida Child Custody Rules
Custody, or parental obligations, are separated into two areas:
(1) Parenting Time
Physical custody is sometimes called Parenting Time. This responsibility applies to where the child lives. During Parenting Time, this parent must care for the child’s physical, emotional, and social needs (e.g., food, shelter, community involvement, and school transportation).
The Courts will allocate time based on the child’s best interests. While the array of time slots and schedules can be dizzying, in general, the courts will attempt as much as possible to allocate Parenting time as equally as possible, assuming that parenting competencies are approximately equal.
(2) Decision Making
Legal custody is what some states refer to as the division of Decision-Making. Responsibilities are sometimes referred to as Legal Custody. This entails making decisions about a child’s upbringing. This covers education, religion, and non-emergency healthcare decisions.
Even if a child spends most of their time with one parent, most courts prefer collaborative decision-making. Unfortunately, this isn’t necessarily good for the youngster, especially in high conflict divorce or conflicting child-rearing priorities. As such, it is frequently the most important topic of negotiation in court.
