In the state of Florida, divorcing parents to whom the court grants joint physical custody must develop a parenting plan for the care of their children.
Every parenting plan is unique, but there are certain elements you must include in order to obtain the approval of the court.
Building the plan
In Florida, courts encourage divorcing parents to have joint physical custody, believing that it is in the children’s best interests to have continued contact with their parents. A Florida parenting plan must include:
- Time-sharing schedule for the children
- Daily parenting task details
- Which parent will assume healthcare responsibilities for the children
- Which parent’s address will be used for school registration
- How parents will communicate with the children and with each other
Other details
Parents can cover many other details in the plan, such as:
- How they will manage religious upbringing for the children
- Who will take the children to extracurricular activities
- How the parents will manage the children’s transfer between homes
- How the parents will manage changes to visitation schedules
- How they will resolve conflicts related to childcare
- How they will manage major issues such as a sudden illness that affects the time-sharing schedule
Plan modification
Florida courts will only approve the modification of a parenting plan if the children would benefit significantly, if their safety is at risk or if a parent’s circumstances have undergone a major change. Keep in mind that the court will not accept a parenting plan that is incomplete or vague. With legal guidance, parents can ensure that their plan is well-written and contains all the information the court wants to see.
