Florida Child Custody and Time-Sharing: Complete Guide for Parents
Florida’s current family-law framework generally uses the terms parental responsibility and time-sharing rather than treating “custody” as a separate legal award. What most parents mean by custody is split into these two legal concepts: parental responsibility, which covers who makes major decisions for a child, and time-sharing, which covers the schedule of when the child […]
How Florida Courts Decide the Best Interests of the Child
In Florida, the child’s best interests are the governing standard courts use when making parenting and time-sharing decisions. Judges evaluate a specific list of 20 statutory factors under Fla. Stat. § 61.13(3), [1] covering everything from each parent’s ability to co-parent to the child’s own stability and safety, and weigh the full picture rather than […]
What Is a Florida Parenting Plan and What Should It Include?
A Florida parenting plan is the court-approved document that governs how parents share decision-making and time with their child after a divorce or paternity case. In Florida family-law proceedings where the court must establish parental responsibility or a time-sharing arrangement, a parenting plan is generally required, and it must address several statutory subjects, including the […]
How to Document Co-Parenting Problems for a Florida Custody Case
The most useful way to document co-parenting problems for a Florida custody case is to keep a plain, dated record of what actually happened: missed exchanges, ignored messages, and any way the conflict is reaching your child. Specific, contemporaneous records can help a parent present evidence about what occurred, particularly when the issue involves repeated […]
Modifying or Enforcing a Florida Parenting Plan: What Parents Should Know
If your co-parent isn’t following your parenting plan, Florida law generally gives you two main paths for addressing it: ask the court to enforce the plan as written, or ask the court to change it based on what has genuinely changed since it was entered. Both tools operate inside the same underlying process, a Florida […]
Is 50/50 Time-Sharing Automatic in Florida? What Parents Need to Know
In Florida, 50/50 time-sharing is not automatic. Since July 1, 2023, Florida Statute 61.13 has established a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in a child’s best interests[1][2], but the court must still determine the parenting plan and time-sharing schedule under the full statutory framework governing a Florida child custody case. If you’re asking whether […]
South Florida Divorce FAQs: Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade Basics
You generally file for divorce in the Florida circuit court for the county where you or your spouse lives, which for most South Florida families means Palm Beach, Broward, or Miami-Dade County. The county itself does not change Florida’s divorce law, but it does determine which courthouse, judges, and local procedures apply to your case. […]
Texts, Social Media, and Digital Evidence in Florida Divorce: What the Judge Will See
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of things come across a judge’s desk. Things that never should have been said, typed, or posted. I’ve seen text messages where one parent wished the other would die. I’ve seen drunk rants sent at 2 a.m., filled with profanity and threats. I’ve seen Facebook posts publicly calling […]
The Florida Divorce Process: Step-by-Step from Filing to Final Judgment
The Florida divorce process follows a defined legal sequence, but how long it takes and how complicated it feels depends almost entirely on your specific situation. Understanding the roadmap ahead of time, before emotions are running high and deadlines are approaching, gives you the clarity to move through each stage with purpose instead of panic. […]
Why You Should Never Trust Verbal Promises in a Florida Divorce
TL;DR What You Will Learn in This Article Verbal promises made during a divorce are extremely risky and generally will not protect you under Florida law. The other spouse’s lawyer represents your spouse, not you. One attorney cannot ethically protect both sides. Florida requires a mandatory financial affidavit that cannot be waived, and skipping full […]
