Time Sharing

For most parents dealing with a child custody case, the most important issue is going to be how much time they get with their children. A big part of having healthy and happy kids is a parent’s ability to spend quality time with them. When a couple divorces or separates, it’s important to arrive at a workable parenting plan. Florida law promotes the idea that maximizing each parent’s involvement in a child’s life is in the child’s best interest. Though the hope is that parents can work together to agree regarding time-sharing (visitation) rights, the reality is that doesn’t always happen. Having an experienced family law attorney on your side matters, whether you’re settling or litigating your time-sharing case. The experienced Tampa attorneys at the Family Law Advocates, P.A., have been helping parents fight for visitation rights with their children for years. With each case, our only goal is the best possible outcome for you, the client.

Our family law team offers quality representation regarding all aspects of time-sharing and parenting plans, including:

• Establishment of Time-sharing Orders in Your Divorce, Paternity, or Family Law Case
• Modifications of Time-Sharing Orders
• Changes to Primary Residential Custody
• Emergency Orders
• Relocation
• Enforcement of Time-Sharing Orders;
• More

At the Family Law Advocates, we approach each domestic relations case with the core belief that we’re here to help people. The starting point is giving each client an honest and thorough assessment of their rights and options. From there, we strive to help our clients resolve their time-sharing cases in the most efficient manner possible. We will work hard to get your family law matter settled. If settlement can’t be reached, we’ll be thoroughly prepared to fight for you in court. We understand just how important your time with your kids is to you. It’s important to us, too.

When you find yourself going through a divorce, establishing a fair and equitable initial visitation schedule is crucial. From there, Florida statute allows for time-sharing orders to be modified, based on a change in circumstances not known at the time the initial judgment was entered. However, establishing your original parenting plan may be only one part of the issues a parent might deal with related to their visitation rights and their children.

When establishing initial visitation orders, Florida courts will require parents to come up with a parenting plan. If they cannot agree, a judge will make the final decision regarding how time-sharing will be allocated. A time-sharing schedule should be detailed. In addition to normal, recurring time, there should also be provisions for things like holidays, school breaks and vacations. The more detail your parenting plan has, the less likely there will be future argument or games regarding interpretation.

Florida time-sharing statutes also provide remedies when one parent violates time sharing orders, denying the other parent their court ordered visitation. When dealing with time-sharing schedule violations, the court can enter orders for make-up time, additional provisions to ensure time-sharing occurs, and even monetary consequences. Most family law judges take violations of parenting time seriously. The Family Law Advocates do, too.

When a time-sharing schedule is in place and one parent moves, or seeks to move more than 50 miles from their current location, Florida law regarding relocation requires that the parties either agree to the relocation or that the parent moving file a request with the court for permission to move. The law requires any parent moving 50 miles or more to legally deal with their relocation. This applies to not only a primary residential parent, but rather either parent. One parent moving a signification distance can disrupt an existing time-sharing schedule.

In some time-sharing cases, including modifications and relocation, there may be the need for use of a child custody evaluation, whether through a “social investigation” or through a guardian-ad-litem. We can help you determine what’s needed in your case to present the evidence most favorable to you.

Whether you’re dealing with establishing, modifying, or enforcing a parenting plan and time-sharing schedule, you need an experienced family law team to advocate for you, to ensure that your visitation rights are protected and secured.

If you live in the Tampa, St. Petersburg, or Clearwater areas and are going through a divorce or paternity case, you need an experienced local attorney to guide you through the process and to fight for your rights to time-sharing. Our family law team is highly skilled in both negotiation and litigation. Our attorneys work hard to ensure your best possible outcome is secured, either at the settlement table or in the courtroom.

Each client has a set of circumstances unique to them. We hear their goals and their concerns, and we create a customized strategy based on their needs. We will do everything possible to secure your visitation orders through settlement, but should the need to go before a judge arise, we are well-equipped to aggressively litigate your case in court. Whatever the circumstances of your case may be, the attorneys at the Family Law Advocates are well-positioned to represent your time-sharing and visitation needs.

Should you find yourself in need of an experienced family law team to protect your visitation rights, give the attorneys at the Family Law Advocates a call. You can also contact us online to schedule your confidential, initial consultation with one of our attorneys. When you need help, we are only a brief phone call away.

The Family Law Advocates also handles all aspects of divorce and child support cases, through the Tampa area, including Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.