Parkland Child Custody Lawyer
If you have a child or children with another person and that relationship is ending, how you will divide the parenting roles between you is likely the most important issue you have to resolve. The Broward and Palm Beach County family law attorneys at Williams & Varsegi, LLC, in Parkland and Boca Raton are devoted to family law issues involving children and have years of experience representing and advocating for the rights of children in divorce, child custody, foster care and other matters. Whether jointly creating a timesharing agreement with your co-parent, or litigating a highly emotional and contentious custody dispute in Broward County or Palm Beach County court, you can count on the Parkland child custody lawyers at Williams & Varsegi, LLC, have years of experience in child custody matters and will work to protect your rights and help you reach a resolution that works best for you and most importantly, your children.
Florida Laws on Timesharing and Parental Responsibility
The policy of the state of Florida is to encourage meaningful and continuous contact between each parent and the children, with each parent having the ability to participate in making important decisions about how the children will be raised. However, the main guiding principle in all child custody matters is to do what is in the best interests of the child.
When determining the best interest of the child, the court will consider several factors, including but not limited to:
- Each parent’s willingness to encourage and support a relationship between the child and the other parent
- The mental, physical, and emotional health of the parents
- The stability of the child’s home environment
- any history of domestic violence, child abuse, abandonment or neglect
- the child’s wishes
- and each parent’s ability to be involved with the child’s school and extracurricular activities
In an ideal situation, the parents agree on parenting issues and how to share custody of their children. The parents and their attorneys draw up a parenting plan which is reviewed and approved by the court. In reality, parents do not always agree, and it is up to the court to decide on parenting and timesharing. Once decided, these matters can only be modified post-judgment by returning to court and arguing that there has been a substantial change in circumstances that would justify a modification to the timesharing or parenting plan. It’s important to get it right the first time for your sake and your children’s sake. The child-focused family law attorneys at Williams & Varsegi, LLC, have the child custody experience and litigation background to represent your interests in crafting an agreement or litigating contested issues. You will find us to be staunch advocates for your interests and those of your children.
We can help you get out the facts and evidence that will help the judge reach a decision that reflects your needs and creates a lasting, workable plan for the family
In Florida, the court must approve a parenting plan, which at a minimum includes the following:
- How the parents will share and be responsible for the daily tasks associated with the upbringing of the child
- The timesharing schedule that specifies the time the child will spend with each parent
- Who will be responsible for healthcare, school matters, and other activities
- Details the methods and technologies that the parents will use to communicate with the child
Child custody thus consists of two categories: “timesharing” and “parental responsibility.” Timesharing involves the amount of physical time each parent spends with a child. Parental responsibility refers to the critical decisions parents make for a child, such as school and medical care. In addition, the court typically orders shared parental responsibility unless the court finds that would be detrimental to the child. Evidence of a conviction of domestic violence or child abuse or the existence of an injunction for protection against domestic violence creates a rebuttable presumption of detriment to the child. If the court determines that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the child, then the court may order sole parental responsibility and shall make arrangements for timesharing to best protect the child from harm in the parenting plan. The court will consider the best interest of the child.
Trust Your Most Important Child Custody Matters to our Parkland Child-Focused Family Lawyers
Matters of parenting and timesharing are too important to leave up to the other parent or the court to decide. Make sure your voice is heard and well-represented by dedicated and experienced Broward and Palm Beach County family lawyers. In Parkland and Boca Raton, call Williams & Varsegi, LLC, at 954-255-5655 and to schedule a consultation with our firm.
