A parenting plan defines the ways in which two separated parents will raise their children. Right before post-divorce child custody arrangements can be finalized, a parenting plan must be written and, then, approved by the court.
What Does A Parenting Plan Need To Include?
Every parenting plan must include the following parenting information:
- A statement clarifying the ways in which both parents will divide their parental responsibilities.
- A detailed overview of both parents’ timesharing schedule.
- A statement of both parents’ parental responsibilities.
- A detailed outline of how both parents will communicate with their children.
Regarding the parents’ timesharing schedule, this overview must include:
- The ways in which each parent will spend time with their child.
- The duration of time each parent will spend with their child.
The parental responsibilities statement must include:
- Which parent has the ability to make medical decisions for their children.
- Which parent has the ability to make educational decisions for their children.
- Which residence will determine the children’s school district.
- Which parent has the ability to make other, important, decisions for their children.
All of this information must be clarified within a parenting plan. Even if this information has been effectively clarified within the parenting plan, that doesn’t mean the court will approve the parenting plan.
Every parenting plan must outline conditions that are found to be in the best interest of the children who the parenting plan is for. But, if these conditions are not found to be in the children’s best interest, the court will deny that parenting plan.
How Do The Tampa Courts Determine What Is In Children’s Best Interest?
To determine what parenting plan conditions are in children’s best interest, the Tampa courts consider a variety of factors. Some of the most significant factors are as follows:
- Each parent’s desire to foster a close parent-child relationship and honor the arrangements outlined in their parenting plan.
- The ways in which parental responsibilities are expected to be divided.
- Each parent’s disposition in matters of acting on their children’s needs, rather than their own.
- The duration of time that the children who are the focus of the parenting plan have lived in a stable and satisfactory environment.
- Each parent’s geographical situation and the geographical viability of the current parenting plan.
- The physical and mental health of each parent.
- Each parent’s ability to provide a consistent routine for their children.
- Current evidence that suggests one parent has abused their children.
- Each parent’s pre-divorce parental responsibilities.
- Each parent’s ability to create an environment for their children that is free from substance abuse.
Every single one of these factors, as well as a variety of others, are considered by the Tampa courts when choosing to approve or deny a parenting plan. The presence of certain conditions – a history of substance abuse, for example – may force changes to a proposed parenting plan.
Speak With A Skilled Tampa Parenting Plans & Timesharing Lawyer
Developing an effective parenting plan can be challenging. Getting that parenting plan approved is equally challenging.
Speak with a skilled Tampa parenting plans and timesharing lawyer today. We will help you develop an effective parenting plan that the court approves of.
Sources:
leg.state.fl.us/statuTes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html
codes.findlaw.com/fl/title-vi-civil-practice-and-procedure/fl-st-sect-61-13.htm