Florida residents involved with the divorce process know the toll a divorce can take on everyone in the family. But children may become affected most by a process that completely alters their life. Courts encourage parents to reach a mutual agreement regarding support and custody of minor children. But when parents prove unable to reach an agreement, a family court will render a decision that best benefits the child.
Parenting Plans
Florida courts must approve of any parenting plans & child support agreements created by parents. These agreements must represent the child’s best interest and become legally binding once approved by the court.
Parenting plans provide specific information regarding child care and detail each parent’s contribution to the process. The parenting plan must address custody, time-sharing, healthcare matters, extracurricular activities, and other matters pertinent to the child’s life.
Sharing Time
Both parents will naturally want to continue spending time with children after a divorce. But this can become difficult once the members of a family no longer live together. But some creative scheduling may ensure that parents agreeing on joint custody spend the time they need with a child.
Some families find it possible to satisfy this need by scheduling the child to live alternate weeks with each parent. For example, the child will spend their time with his or her mother the first week. The child lives and sleeps at their father’s home the next week. Parents should note a court will not approve any joint custody agreement when one parent cannot provide adequate accommodations for the child.
Other parenting schedules may include alternating weeks with a mid-week or weekend visit from the other parent. Another possibility is shortening the rotation to less than a full week. The only limits for co-parenting schedules are the living situations for the people involved with making the schedule. The main concern is creating an agreement that meets the needs of the child.
A divorce can grow more complicated when support and custody issues involving young children become involved. A lawyer will likely benefit parents of young children who are considering divorce.