In a custody dispute, two parents are engaged in a court battle about who gets to raise their child or children. Conflicts over custody are frequently emotionally charged, and both parties may believe they are right. Occasionally, one parent may ask for exclusive custody while the other requests shared custody or visitation. What the court decides to […]
Category: Child Custody
Child Custody: Don’t Play Tug-of-War with a Fragile Rope
Tug-of-war custody battles can get messy. The “rope” gets pulled, stretched, and maybe even broken. No matter who “wins,” the rope – that fragile rope – is always caught in the middle. By Valerie Hein, Family Lawyer The person you’re in a relationship with isn’t the person you fell in love with. Your partner had an affair and you’ll […]
Tips On Easy Summer Custody Arrangements
Summer is a time for children to be out of school, have fun, and enjoy time with family and friends. When you are planning your summer activities, it is important that you consider your household and the other parent’s household. In order for everyone to get the most enjoyment out of the summer there are […]
How Can One Give Up Their Parental Rights?
Parental rights are fundamental, protected by the Florida Constitution, and thus are not easily relinquished. In fact, there are very limited instances in which a parent may give up their parental rights voluntarily. Sometimes we are asked whether giving up parental rights would result in eliminating the responsibility for supporting a child, and while the […]
How Can We Prevent The State From Terminating Our Parental Custody Rights To Our Children?
So, DCF has begun proceedings to terminate your parental rights (TPR) because of alleged egregious abuse, neglect or abandonment. If you have previously been granted a case plan, and you simply did not previously follow it, you have the opportunity to delay the TPR by making an honest effort to comply with the case plan. […]
How Can I Allow My Mother To Have Guardianship Of My Child Without Losing My Parental Rights?
As a parent, and subject to the consent of the other parent (if there is another legal parent present), placement of your child with another is completely within your discretion. So, if you want your child to live with, and be cared for by, any other person, you are to make that decision. It […]
What Are Grandparents’ Custody and Visitation Rights In Florida?
Grandparents have the right to be judicially granted visitation with their grandchildren, but only under limited circumstances. When children have been removed from their parents’ home due to abuse, neglect or abandonment, the court may provide grandparents visitation under Chapter 39. Also, a grandparent of a minor child whose parents are deceased, missing, or in […]
What Are My Chances of Getting 50/50 Custody Of My Child In Florida?
While the courts are moving away from automatically assigning Father’s a weekend only relationship with their children, an equal timesharing schedule is not always easy to obtain. The Court must consider all of the factors in Florida Statute 61.13(3)(a-t) in order to determine the best timesharing schedule for the children. In some families, the parental […]
Florida Myth-Busting: Is Joint Custody of Children 50/50?
The term “custody” in the context of parent/child relationships is no longer a term that is recognized by Florida law. The term was eliminated a few years ago from Florida Statutes in every situation where it previously appeared in context. The concept of “custody”, as previously known, is now divided into two separate and distinct […]
Communicating With Your Ex on Custody Issues
After a relationship ends, there are often hard feelings between the parties. Communicating with your ex is usually the last thing you want to do. However, if you have children together, you will need to have discussions with your ex. Keep in mind, that when deciding parental responsibility (decision making authority) for your child(ren), the […]