Child Custody Lawyer

Child Playing Pinellas County As a parent, you always want what’s best for your children. Shouldn’t your family law attorney want the same? We approach every parenting case as a partnership. Our main goal is to make sure that all parties involved place the children and their best interests first. Contact our Tampa child custody lawyer today, we service clients throughout the greater Tampa area including Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough County.

Parenting and Time Sharing in Tampa

When parental responsibility and time-sharing issues are addressed in family court, Florida courts will first consider the best interests of the child in determining a custody and visitation agreement. Florida Statute 61.13(3) contains the factors the court must consider in any action regarding parenting.

Florida law promotes the idea that time sharing and involvement of both parents is a child’s right. Each parent should have as much contact and time with the child as possible since children benefit from having a close relationship with both parents.

As a result, parents are encouraged to establish a parenting plan. A parenting plan outlines when each parent will visit and spend time with their children, as well as all rights, responsibilities, and decision-making regarding the children.

In most cases, parents end up working out a parenting plan and time-sharing arrangement that specifies the amount of contact, time-sharing, and decision-making responsibilities.

Florida no longer uses the dated terms “custody” and “visitation,” but has instead sought to foster equality in parenting and places both parents on a level playing field from the outset.

The best parenting arrangements are always reached by parents making an agreement amongst themselves either through negotiation or through mediation. However, if parents cannot reach an agreement on their own, then these decisions are left to the Court, which is why hiring a custody attorney in Tampa might be beneficial.

You shouldn’t want a judge deciding when you can and cannot see your children. We encourage parents to use all resources available to them to resolve parenting issues without the necessity of a trial, such as the use of parenting plan evaluators, parenting coordinators, collaborative resolution, and mediation to reach the best possible time sharing arrangement.

Parental Responsibility in Tampa

Parental Responsibility refers to the parents’ rights and abilities to make decisions regarding their children.

There are three broadly defined categories of parental responsibility:

Shared Parental Responsibility
Shared Parental Responsibility with Ultimate Decision-Making
Sole Parental Responsibility

Both parents have equal rights when it comes to access to information in a shared parental responsibility arrangement. Making decisions on behalf of their children, which can include:

Healthcare
Religion
Education
Activities
and other important choices

Both parents have equal access to information and decision-making power, regardless of where the child lives. All decisions must be made jointly and each parent should not deny the other access to records and information regarding the children.

The vast majority of parents exercise shared parental responsibility of the children. However, this isn’t always possible.

It is in the best interest of the child for one parent to have the ultimate decision or be the tie-breaker on certain issues where the parents are unable to agree or are unable to make decisions and detach from their prior conflicts.

Sole responsibility is rarely awarded where it can be conclusively established that it would be detrimental to the child for one parent to exercise decision-making.

In this scenario, one parent has the right to make decisions on the child’s behalf without consulting the other parent.

We will work with you to determine which parental responsibility and time-sharing arrangement will benefit you and your children. We will then work with you to achieve those results.

Get a Consultation from our Child Custody Lawyer Serving Tampa & St. Petersburg

Parenting matters can happen as a result of a divorce, a legal separation, or when a co-parent disappears from the child’s life. The interests of your children and your parental rights will be protected no matter where your relationship with the other parent stands. Contact our Tampa child custody lawyer today for help if you live in St. Petersburg, Plant City, Clearwater or in Pinellas, Pasco or Hillsborough County.

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