Parenting Plan / Timesharing

Parenting Plan / Timesharing

Parenting Plan/Timesharing

It is the public policy of Florida to ensure that each minor child has frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have separated or the marriage is dissolved, as well as to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities, and joys of child-rearing.

In most cases, parental responsibility for a minor child will be shared by both parents so that each parents retains full parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their child. Shared parental responsibility requires both parents to confer so that major decisions affecting the welfare of the child will be determined jointly. You and the other parent 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 health related decisions. The court will determine these matters if the parties cannot reach an agreement.

Responsibilities

In some cases, the court has the ability to order sole parental responsibility to one parent. This occurs when shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the child.

The court will either approve or establish its own Parenting Plan, which includes the parental responsibility over the minor child, the timesharing schedule (which details the time the minor child(ren) spends with each parent), and communication between the parents and the minor child.

As part of the timesharing schedule, the parties also agree on holiday timesharing, including summer break and summer vacation with the child(ren).
Parenting Plan / Timesharing
The Court uses the “best interest of the child” standard when making determinations affecting the child such as parental responsibility. Florida law further requires that both parents attend a parenting course before the entry of a Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage or Final Judgment of Paternity.
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