Timesharing In Florida: What You Need To Know
Timesharing in Florida is a highly contested area of law. The term “timesharing” is more commonly referred to as child custody in other states. In order to determine timesharing, Florida courts look at a number of factors. If you are worried about gaining custody of your children or you have questions about the timesharing process in Florida, reach out to an experienced child custody lawyer today. The following are some important factors the courts consider when making timesharing decisions.
What Factors Do Florida Courts Consider When Determining a Timesharing Schedule?
1. The Best Interests of the Child
The “Best Interests of the Child” is the main guiding principle in Florida timesharing. The Florida legislature has defined the best interests of a child as follows:
- The child’s welfare should be the paramount consideration in all parental decisions affecting the child.
- The parents should have a reasonable opportunity to provide for and care for their children.
- The parents should govern the child’s residence, education, health, and welfare in a manner consistent with the best interests of the child.
Factors such as whether one parent is more likely to abuse or neglect their child, how well each parent interacts with the child, and how much time each parent spent with the child in the past are all taken into account.
2. The Parent’s Ability to Take Care of the Child
In Florida, the parent’s ability to take care of the child is another key factor in determining who will have more time with the child. The courts may consider many factors, such as whether the parents can provide a stable home for the child, whether they can adequately provide for the child’s medical and educational needs, and whether either parent has been convicted of a crime that would make them unfit to care for a child.
If a court determines that one parent cannot adequately care for the child, then the parent who can do so may be granted majority timesharing. In the case where one parent may be a danger to themselves or to the child, they may be granted supervised timesharing or no time at all.
