When parents of minor children divorce or separate, it is important to determine each one's rights and responsibilities until the children reach age 18. A child custody and visitation schedule, most commonly referred to as a "parenting plan," spells out in clear, legal terms the arrangements for care and upbringing of the child:
- When the child will spend time with each parent individually through the year.
- When, and how, the child will keep in contact with the non-custodial parent when the child not in that parent's custody.
- Who will pay the child's health and/or dental insurance.
- Who will claim the child as a deduction on income tax returns.
- How important decisions regarding the child will be delegated.
Child Custody and Child Support Lawyers in Florida
Note: In Florida, the law now presumes that children of divorced and separated parents will be raised through nearly 50-50 shared parenting schedules. Parents with strong cases for deviating from such an arrangement need to demonstrate to a family law judge why there should be an exception. Our law firm can help you petition for more time with your child or children or object to the other parent's attempt to do so.
Child support is determined by a state calculator that takes into account each parent's income and the amount of time the child is with each parent.
Although divorce or separation can be a stressful and often painful experience for many couples, most parents are able to set their differences and negotiate child custody arrangements which are in the child's best interests. When parents do not agree about child custody and visitation, it may be necessary for a family law judge to make these decisions. However, at the Law Offices of Fisher & Frommer, PLLC, we believe that parents themselves know best what type of living and care giving arrangements are in a child's best interests. Our attorneys can adeptly guide you through the process of child custody negotiations or litigation. Our clients include parents preparing to divorce, parents who are previously divorced and separated, unmarried mothers and fathers.
Contact a Florida Child Custody Lawyer
Our attorneys are prepared to work directly with you to help you arrive at a child custody and visitation arrangement that makes sense for your family. Contact us to discuss any questions you have about child custody and child support. Lawyers at the Law Offices of Fisher & Frommer, PLLC, welcome the opportunity to advise you from our law offices in Lake Mary, Orlando or Tampa. Your first consultation will be conducted on a "no further obligation" basis.
