Child Custody

Child Custody Attorneys In Orlando

The decisions made in a divorce proceeding will shape your children’s’ lives for years to come. Orlando divorce lawyer Stephen Caplan is dedicated to preserving and protecting the relationships you have with your kids while doing everything possible to minimize any adverse effects the process may have on their well-being. 

Time-Sharing and Parental Responsibility

In Florida, the traditional concepts of custody and visitation are replaced with “time-sharing” and “parental responsibility.” Time-sharing refers to how you and your spouse will split time with the kids. Parental responsibility refers to the role each of you will play in making decisions related to their upbringing. 

Divorce attorney Caplan has more than 30 years of experience facilitating child custody agreements for families in Orlando. He is committed to de-escalating conflict and building consensus whenever possible. However, if an agreement can’t be reached, you can count on him to vigorously fight for your parental rights in court. 

How Child Custody Decisions are Reached in Florida

When a time-sharing or parental responsibility agreement cannot be resolved through negotiation or mediation, a judge will step in and make decisions they feel are in the best interests of your children. Factors they will consider before making a determination includes:

• wishes of both parents and children
• relationship and bond between the children and each of the parents
• The children’s feelings towards their current situation — home, school, friends, community
• history of abuse or neglect
• mental and physical health of all individuals involved
• which parent is going to permit frequent and meaningful contact with the other parent.

Creating a Parenting Plan

Florida divorce law requires divorcing parents to establish and file a parenting plan with the family law court. A parenting plan serves as a “blueprint” for how you both will co-parent after the divorce. A typical parenting plan includes: 

• A schedule for how parenting time will be divided including number of overnights, holidays, and vacations that the children will spend with each parent
• An outline of each parent’s rights and responsibilities for the personal care of the child and for decisions in areas such as education, health care and religious training
• costs for childcare/expenses, extracurricular activities
• procedure for how you and your spouse will resolve disputes
• child support amount
• rules for transporting kids and details surrounding where and when exchanges will happen.
• guidelines for long-distance parenting if one spouse relocates

Get Help Now

Are you facing child visitation or custody issues in Orlando or the surrounding area? It is vital that you get the help that you need to protect yourself and your family. Speaking with an experienced Child Custody attorney is vital in order to learn what your rights and responsibilities are.