How Parental Fitness Determinations Determine Child Custody In Florida
In Florida, parental fitness is considered when making determinations of child custody. This means that the court will take into account the physical and emotional health of both the parents, as well as the child’s best interests. The courts also look at whether one parent has been violent or abusive towards the other and whether either parent is unfit to have custody of the child based on their criminal record or mental health issues.
Florida Statute Section 61.13(3) provides that if a court determines that “the best interest of the child” would be served by awarding custody to one parent over the other, then custody shall be awarded to the parent who is more fit to care for the child. This statute is known as the “best interest of the child” test, and it is used to determine whether a custody order should be granted.
The Consequences of Failing to Meet Parental Fitness Standards
Florida parents are often faced with the consequences of not meeting the set parental fitness standards. This is a major issue because it can have a big impact on custody in family law matters. If a parent does not meet fitness standards, then their children may be taken away from them and placed with another parent who meets the fitness standard.
This could have serious consequences for the children, including loss of custody and access to their parents. This could also have serious consequences for the parent, including loss of custody and access to their child(ren).
It is thus important for parents to understand their parental fitness standards so that they can meet them and protect their children.