In 2008, Florida’s family laws changed the face of custody. Common terminology turned from child custody and visitation to timesharing and parenting plans. Additionally, the Court no longer awards primary custody to one parent or the other. Instead, the Court awards timesharing to both parents, which are then broken down into a percentage of overnights per parent.
Parenting plans delineate:
- Where the child will live;
- How much time each parent is permitted to spend with the child;
- Which parent has decision-making power on behalf of the child;
- And much more;
Why the laws changed
Prior to 2008, family laws, especially those concerning child custody, greatly favored the mother’s rights. The result of the change has resulted in much more flexible and customizable decisions that allows for equal and fair responsibility to be shared among parents.
How far custody has come
Custody issues have long been resolved in cookie-cutter terms: the kids live with Mom and get to see Dad on Wednesdays and weekends. Other solutions were often exceptions. But now, every family can have their own unique plan that suits their jobs, locations, and potentially, their changing families in the future, but most importantly, a plan this is in the child’s best interest.
There is also a solution commonly referred to as nesting, where the child remains in the primary residence and the parents rotate who stays in the family home for a pre-determined amount of time. For instance, you might stay in the home for a week while your ex-spouse lives in an apartment, and at the end of that week you and your ex switch places. Or, each spouse maintains his or her own secondary residence.
For your timesharing, parenting plans and timesharing modification matters, contact Tampa Bay divorce lawyers at the Law Offices of K. Dean Kantaras, P.A. We look forward to helping you prepare for your future.