Elements Of A Florida Parenting Plan

Whenever children are involved in a Florida divorce or paternity case the court requires that the parents submit a parenting plan for approval. Florida statutes provide the minimum elements that must be present in every parenting plan before a judge will approve it, and at the law office of Blair H. Chan, III our team of dedicated legal professionals can assist in creating a parenting plan that is in you and your child’s best interest. To learn more about what is required for a Florida parenting plan, call or contact our office to schedule a case consultation.

Required Parenting Plan Elements 

In order to ensure that a child’s welfare and care is fully considered by the parents, Florida law requires that every parenting plan contain the following provisions:

• Describing in detail how the parents will share and be responsible for the daily tasks associated with the upbringing of the child,
• Inclusion of a timesharing schedule that specify when the child will be with each parent,
• Designating which parent is responsible for all forms of health care, including mental health care, school-related matters, and other activities, and
• Describing in detail the methods and technologies that the parents and child will use to communicate with one another.

It is important to note that Florida law provides that the court may approve, grant, or modify a parenting plan even if the child is not physically present in the state at the time that the parenting plan is presented to the court if it is determined that the child was removed for the primary purpose of avoiding the court’s jurisdiction on the matter. This means that a parent cannot take a child out of state in order to avoid the submission or approval of a parenting plan in Florida.

Other Child Considerations 

One significant consideration that can substantially impact a Florida parenting plan is the child custody and visitation arrangement between parents. Determining physical and legal custody as well as sole or joint custody directly affects multiple elements of a parenting plan. Another consideration is the determination of child support, which is based on a number of factors and calculated according to state statute. While the parents of a child are encouraged to compromise and negotiate these matters outside of the courtroom, it is important to remember that ultimately the judge in the case makes the final determination on custody, support, and parenting plan matters as they are required to ensure that everything decided upon is in the best interests of the child. To learn more, talk to our office today.

Talk to Our Office Now 

Do you have questions about what is required for a parenting plan or any other issues that may arise with a child in a Florida divorce or paternity case? If so, the experienced and knowledgeable Tampa family law attorneys at the law office of Blair H. Chan, III are here to help. Call the office or contact us today to schedule a evaluation of your legal needs.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html