What Has Been Your Experience In Handling Family Law Cases?

I was licensed by the Florida Supreme Court in 2004 and began practicing family law exclusively around 2008. Since then, I have handled many paternity, divorce, parental rights, and adoption cases. During the course of my career, I have also represented the Department of Children and Families, which gave me a lot of insight into their procedures and how they handle certain types of cases. This experience, in addition to spending years doing family law litigation, has helped me to craft time-sharing plans for clients and ensure that every case moves forward in the best interests of the children.

What Do You Want Readers To Gain From Reading This Book?

This book is for anyone who is going through a separation and doesn’t know what to do in terms of the time-sharing plan. If one parent has issues related to drug or alcohol abuse, then the other parent may not want to effectuate the time-sharing plan for fear of their children being in danger or neglected while under the care of that parent. Despite the fact that most time-sharing plans in Florida are 50/50, there are certain circumstances under which it is acceptable to withhold the children from the other parent. For example, this may be acceptable if a parent is filing the appropriate motions to obtain relief from the court. In other circumstances, however, it is not acceptable to withhold children from the other parent. More specifically, the book will tract the statutory factors that the Courts consider in developing a time-sharing plan. Recently separated parents, parents who are facing divorce, or individuals dealing with a paternity or modifications may benefit from the information in this book.

What Kind Of Time-Sharing Agreements Do Couples Have Prior To The Divorce Being Finalized?

Before a divorce is finalized, a time-sharing plan might preclude or limit one parent from seeing their children, allow for each parent to have the children 50 percent of the time, or fall somewhere in between. If possible, the parents should work together to determine the details of a proper time-sharing plan. The courts want parents to agree on plans that prioritize the best interests of the children rather than their own personal interests. For example, if a mother has never gone a single night without having her children with her, then the idea of having her children stay with their father would likely be very upsetting to her. However, assuming that the father is not abusive and does not pose a threat to the children, the mother should try to agree to a time-sharing plan that grants overnight visits to the father. She needs to look at the child’s interests and not her own. But that is just one example and the parents, children and all cases are different. If parents cannot agree on a plan while the divorce is pending, a motion for the court to establish a time-sharing plan can be filed.

Does Florida Have A Presumption Of 50/50 Time-Sharing?

In the state of Florida, there is a presumption that children benefit from having frequent and continuing contact with both parents. However, equal time-sharing can be negated or not awarded in a number of circumstances, which are outlined more specifically in my book.

For more information on Handling Family Law Cases In Florida, a free case evaluation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling (239) 334-4383 today.