Category Archives: Child Custody
Going Back to School with your Parenting Plan
If you finalized your divorce recently, you and your children have probably experienced a lot of “firsts” this year. As your children’s first summer vacation with a parenting plan draws to a close, it’s time to look ahead to the next big “first” they have coming up: their first new school year with a… Read More »
How to Interact with Child Protective Services
Child custody can be a complicated, emotionally difficult topic for parents. In an effort to gain full custody of their children, some parents make false accusations that their former partners are abusing their children. In other cases, parents, teachers, and other mandated reporters genuinely believe that children are being abused and make reports to… Read More »
Determining your Child’s Best Interests
When the court develops a parenting plan for a child, it considers a set of factors about the child’s lifestyle and needs to determine the plan that most effectively serves the child’s best interests. In most cases, it is in the child’s best interest to continue having a consistent relationship with both parents. The… Read More »
Can my Child Choose His or Her Parenting Plan?
In a word, no. Your child’s parenting plan is created according to what the court deems to be in his or her best interest, and to determine this, it considers a series of factors about your child’s needs and both parents’ lifestyles. Your child’s preference is one of the factors the court may consider,… Read More »
Does an Unmarried Father Have the Right to Stop an Adoption in Florida?
For married fathers, parental rights are automatically granted when their wife gives birth. A married mother cannot put a child up for adoption unless she has the consent of the legal father (her husband) or has good cause to take action to get her husband’s parental rights removed. For unmarried fathers, establishing parental rights… Read More »
I am a Grandparent. What are my Custodial Rights to my Grandchildren?
In Florida, grandparents have the right to pursue custody of their grandchildren under certain circumstances. Many people misunderstand the concept of grandparents’ rights and assume that grandparents automatically have the right to visits and the pursuit of custody of their grandchildren. This is not true. Only a child’s legal parents have these rights from… Read More »
Can I Prevent or Limit the Other Parent’s Right to Visit My Child?
Florida policymakers believe that is inherently in the best interest of children for them to have an ongoing relationship with both of their parents. As a result of this preference, joint custody and shared parental responsibility is heavily favored in the state. Of course, we all know that some parents are not truly capable… Read More »
How Does a Married Man Prove He is Not the Father of a Child?
If a married woman gives birth in Florida, her husband is assumed to be the father of the child. The husband at the time of the birth is automatically granted the parental rights and parental responsibilities. This is true even if the couple gets divorced soon after the birth; the parental rights and responsibilities… Read More »
Florida Child Custody Disputes: When Do Child Preferences Matter?
Under Florida law, child custody cases are resolved using the state’s ‘best interests of the child’ legal standard. In effect, this means that Florida family law courts make child custody decisions by taking a look at the totality of the circumstances in a given cases, and assessing what type of custody and time-sharing arrangement… Read More »
Florida Child Custody: Who Gets to Make Medical Decisions
There are few things more stressful and frustrating than being locked in a contentious child custody dispute. Under Florida law, child custody is a complex issue that must be handled with extreme care. Custody is actually broken down two different parts: Physical custody: Who has a right to be with the child, and when… Read More »