Depending on whether both parents were able to work together to formulate the plan, or the court had to design one themselves, sticking to the plan is very important, not only for the child’s benefit, but also to adhere to the family court’s guidelines.

How to stick to the plan

Photo by Tumisu.

Once the plan has been formulated and put in place, the hard part becomes sticking to it. Here are a few tips to help you keep it up, month in and month out:

• Talk to your employer – The time you spend with your child is precious, and keeping them (or your ex-spouse) waiting because you’re still at work is never a good idea. Discuss your time-sharing plan ahead of time with your employer to make sure that you will be immediately available to your child when it’s your turn.
• Have activities already in mind – Depending on where you live, there are always things to do out and about, so spending a few minutes getting ideas in mind for when you have your child can go a long way.
• Build some rituals together – Humans are creatures of habit, so whether it’s Saturday morning pancake breakfast, an ice cream trip on Wednesday nights, or building a new model plane together, having a pre-determined thing for you and your child to look forward to can be a great help.
• Work with your ex-spouse – This one might not always be possible, depending on the circumstances of the divorce, but communicating with your spouse can make a huge difference. If you have to work late one evening, or have an emergency that calls you out of town, being able to communicate that with your child’s other parent can help smooth out a lot of potential rough patches.
• Stay involved with your child, even when you don’t have them – This can be as simple as sending them funny emails, calling them on their birthday, or going to any applicable parent meetings at their school. Just because they’re not staying at your house doesn’t mean they’re not currently your child, so try to stay as active in their life as you can.

In some ways, sticking to a time-sharing plan can be even trickier than simply having full custody, but hopefully with these tips, you find adhering to it a bit easier.

If you are in need of modifying an existing time-sharing plan, or are in need of setting one up to begin with, be sure to get in touch with a family law attorney right away. They’ll be able to answer all your questions and help you take the appropriate next steps.

In the state of Florida, child custody and visitation is referred to as time-sharing. The courts believe that it is usually always in the best interest of the child to have equal time-sharing schedules, and you should have a plan that shows when your child spends time with each parent.

Creating a time-sharing schedule

Your time-sharing schedule should include:

• An everyday schedule that shows when the child is with each parent on weekdays and on weekends
• A holiday schedule that shows which parent the child is with for holidays
• A summer break schedule that shows when the child is with each parent during summer break

Other things to consider as you make your schedule:

• Florida courts encourage parents to work together to make a schedule they both like
• Your schedule should give your child frequent and consistent contact with both parents
• Your child’s age usually determines how long and how frequent visits are
• Usually all the children in a family stay together for time-sharing
• If parents are not able to agree on a schedule, the court will establish the schedule

Having the courts establish a time-sharing schedule

Photo by skitterphoto

Courts in most counties in Florida follow similar guidelines when setting up a time-sharing schedule. For the everyday schedule for children 3 and over, there will be one residential parent, usually the one who lives near the child’s school, and one nonresidential parent. The child visits the non-residential parent:

• One evening during the week after school or work to 8:30 pm
• Every other weekend from Friday after school or work to Sunday evening at 6:00 pm or Monday morning when school starts
• If the child has school off on the Friday before the non-residential parent’s weekend, the weekend time starts on Thursday.
• If child has school off on the Monday after the non-residential parent’s weekend, the weekend ends on Monday evening or Tuesday morning when school starts.

Parents will also alternate holidays and share the child’s summer break evenly.

In the state of Florida, child custody and visitation is referred to as time-sharing. The courts believe that it is usually in the best interest of the child to have equal time-sharing schedules, and you should have a plan that shows when your child spends time with each parent.

Creating a time-sharing schedule

Your time-sharing schedule should include:

• An everyday schedule that shows when the child is with each parent on weekdays and on weekends
• A holiday schedule that shows which parent the child is with for holidays
• A summer break schedule that shows when the child is with each parent during summer break

Other things to consider as you make your schedule:

• 

  Photo by pixabay.

  Florida courts encourage parents to work together to make a schedule they both like

• Your schedule should give your child frequent and consistent contact with both parents
• Your child’s age usually determines how long and how frequent visits are
• Usually all the children in a family stay together for time-sharing
• If parents are not able to agree on a schedule, the court will establish the schedule

Having the courts establish a time-sharing schedule

Courts in most counties in Florida follow similar guidelines when setting up a time-sharing schedule. For the everyday schedule for children 3 and over, there will be one residential parent, usually the one who lives near the child’s school, and one nonresidential parent. The child visits the non-residential parent:

• One evening during the week after school or work to 8:30 pm
• Every other weekend from Friday after school or work to Sunday evening at 6:00 pm or Monday morning when school starts
• If the child has school off on the Friday before the non-residential parent’s weekend, the weekend time starts on Thursday.
• If child has school off on the Monday after the non-residential parent’s weekend, the weekend ends on Monday evening or Tuesday morning when school starts.

Parents will also alternate holidays and share the child’s summer break evenly.

Photo by Josh Willink

Child custody cases can be tough and confusing for everyone involved. In order to help ease some of that confusion, here is some information on what needs to occur in order to relocate a child in or after a child custody case in Florida.

A New Set of Written Agreements

In order for one parent to relocate a child, a written agreement must be signed by both parents. In this written agreement, consent to the relocation must be expressed. A time-sharing schedule must be clearly laid out for anyone who has the legal right to access or time-sharing with the child. The agreement must also express transportation arrangements that align with the time-sharing schedule.

In conjunction with the written agreement, a petition from the relocating parent to the other parent must be served. In this signed petition, the address and telephone number, along with a description of the new residence, must be stated. The date of the move and the reasons for the move must be included in this signed petition, too.

The text of the agreement, the schedule, the transportation arrangements and the petition to the court need to be spelled out in detail, and in specific ways. You will need the assistance of a competent child custody lawyer here.

The Court Must Approve the Move!

Both the written agreement and the signed petition must be completed in order for a court to approve a relocation of a child who is under a time-sharing agreement. Take the time to make this petition correctly, and spare yourself untold complications down the road.

The DeVoe Law Firm is experienced in Divorce and Custody matters, having operated in Orlando and Kissimmee for years. If you need a lawyer to help relocate a child under time sharing, or if you need any other help in family law matters, contact us today.

Original article on About.com