Florida legislature, in the year 2008, made major changes in the child custody laws. One of the major changes was the removal of words “custody,” “non-custodial parent,” “custodial,” “primary residential parent,” and ‘visitation.”
Instead of these words, the legislature added terms like “sole parental responsibility,” equal-time sharing,” “shared-parental responsibility,” and “majority time-sharing.” Howsoever, the older terms are still used interchangeably with the new ones. In addition, according to Florida statutes, visitation rights and joint custody are allowed.
Like many other US states, Florida also follows the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (PDF). But before filing for child custody in Florida, you need to understand all other changes, rules, and regulations associated with it. For this, it is highly recommended to consult and hire an experienced lawyer specialized in the child custody laws of Florida. To understand the laws and your rights, the lawyer can also help in case you and your ex cannot reach a mutual parental responsibility agreement. In addition, they can help you present your case in court.
Child Custody Statutes in Florida
The court considers the child’s wish and preference while deciding on parental responsibility. However, the court makes sure that the child’s choices are in the best of their interest. Besides, the court also considers the following factors to make any decision on parental responsibility.
- Which parent will allow the child to be in continuous contact with the other parent
- Which parent can provide a better and stable home environment to the child
- Which parent can provide better care to the child’s daily necessities, medical requirements, etc.?
- Each parent’s moral well beingness
- Each parent’s job security
- Emotional bond of a child with each parent
- Child’s school and community
- Each parent’s history of child abuse, criminal record, and domestic violence, if any.
Note: The above list is not limited to the mentioned factors only. You can consult your lawyer for queries.