St. Augustine Area's Largest Law Firm
Child Custody Attorney
Our Child Custody Attorney, mediator and lawyers understand that nothing can be more cherished than your child or children in a divorce. We comprehend and appreciate that the most critical part of any divorce with children is preserving each parents’ relationship with the children and establishing a parenting plan.
With decades of experience, our Child Custody Attorney will work to protect your rights to a parenting plan that includes times and schedules that foster those relationships and facilitate a positive impact on the children.
Reviewing and understanding court standard Timesharing Schedules and Guidelines is the basic framework for our Child Custody Attorney working on a child custody case. While deviations can be made, Custody and timesharing guidelines are important to know so you can have an solid initial understanding of the Court’s general outlook on divorce cases involving children.
SHARED PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY
It is the public policy of Florida to ensure each minor child has frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have separated or divorced and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing. Our Child Custody Attorney can explain that Florida courts give both parties the same consideration in determining parental responsibility and time-sharing, regardless of the child’s age or gender.
In most cases, parental responsibility for a minor child will be shared by both parents so that each retains full parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their child. Shared parenting requires both parents to confer so that major decisions affecting the welfare of the child will be determined jointly. You and your spouse may agree, or the court may order, that one parent have the ultimate responsibility over specific aspects of the child’s welfare, such as education, religion, or medical and dental needs. The court will determine any or all of these matters if the parties cannot agree.
Child Custody Dispute
In very rare cases, the court can order sole parental responsibility to one parent. Our Child Custody Attorney has represented numerous parents in cases of this nature to assert a parent’s rights over another parent when necessary to protect the best interests of the child. To do so, the court must determine that shared parental responsibility would cause harm to the child.
In determining parental responsibility, the court will approve or devise its own a parenting plan that includes responsibility for the daily tasks of child rearing, the time-sharing schedule, and decision-making authority relating to health care, school, and related activities.
Other Child Custody Considerations
Our Child Custody Attorney can help you advocate for the plan to also specify any technology that will be used for parent-child communication. Video calls with modern technology from a smart phone or computer can help maintain the connection between parents.
The parents may agree on a parenting plan and submit to the court for approval or the court will determine these issues. Florida law includes a list of factors for the court to consider in making these decisions.
The courts use the Best Interests of the Child Standard when considering parental issues.
Florida law requires both parties to attend a parenting course prior to entering a final divorce. Some courts require children of parents going through divorce to attend a class specifically designed for them.
Contact Us:
- 104 Sea Grove Main Street | St. Augustine, Florida 32080
