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 […]
Temporary Orders in Florida Divorce: Support, Custody & Living Arrangements While Your Case Is Pending
Florida Family Law Guide A temporary order in a Florida divorce is a court order that controls how money, parenting, and the marital home are handled while your case is pending, before the final judgment is entered. Temporary orders can establish temporary alimony, temporary child support, temporary timesharing, exclusive use of the marital home, and […]
What Does a Divorce Cost in Florida? Filing Fees, Attorney Fees & Hidden Expenses
Florida Family Law Guide The cost of divorce in Florida typically falls between $500 for a simple uncontested filing handled without a lawyer and $30,000 or more for a contested case that goes to trial. The state filing fee for a Petition for Dissolution of Marriage is approximately $408 as of 2024[1], and from there […]
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements in Florida: What They Can and Can’t Do
Florida Family Law Guide Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements in Florida: What They Can and Can’t Do A Florida prenup or postnup can create clarity, protect important assets, and reduce future conflict. But it is not a blank check. Here is what you need to know before you sign, challenge, or draft one. TL;DR What You’ll […]
Can I Get a Divorce If My Spouse Won’t Sign in Florida?
If your spouse refuses to sign divorce papers, ignores the process, or tells you they will “never give you a divorce,” it can feel like you are trapped. You may be wondering whether their refusal means you are stuck in a marriage you want to leave. The good news is that in Florida, your spouse […]
