Per Florida statute, a parenting plan is required in all cases involving timesharing of a minor child. Therefore, even if you and your partner are agreeable on all custody issues, this must be memorialized in a formal parenting plan and given to the court for final approval. However, many underestimate the detail of this plan and all the items that may be addressed in this legal and enforceable document. When entering a child custody case ensure you are aware of all the details covered in a parenting plan by employing the assistance of an experienced Pensacola Child Custody Attorney.
Florida Statute 61.13 provides the necessary details for every parenting plan entered by a Florida Court. At minimum, a parenting plan must: “Describe in adequate detail how the parents will share and be responsible for the daily tasks associated with the upbringing of the child; Include the time-sharing schedule arrangements that specify the time that the minor child will spend with each parent; Designate who will be responsible for any and all forms of health care…,school-related matters, including the address to be used for school-boundary determination and registration, other activities; and describe in adequate detail the methods and technologies that the parents will use to communicate with the child.” Overall, this document governs not only the decisions and care of the child but also the interactions between parent and child and parent and parent. Therefore, it has a significant and exhaustive coverage of the details of you and your child’s life.
Outside of these minimum requirements, you and your partner may agree to add in any other applicable details necessary for your child’s benefit. It is encouraged to be as detailed as possible in these documents as this will leave little room for confusion or argument as you proceed into the future. Your specific parenting plan should be formulated to your family’s unique circumstances as they have a significant impact on even the small details of your child’s life. Therefore, if certain details are important to you and your child such as religion, health care, or education, make them known and detail the decision making process of each item in your parenting plan. Note certain dates or events that are important for you to have timesharing with your child, create a plan for notification of school events, detail how birthdays will be celebrated, discuss how issues will be resolved between you and your partner, or even note when new significant others may be introduced to the child. With this document having such a large power, it is important to treat is as such. Ensure you make your priorities with your child known in this plan.
Parenting plans are critical in every child custody case as it covers every detail of your child’s care and will be the governing document for all decisions regarding your child. Therefore, it is imperative to spend a great deal of time and effort addressing every possible detail with your Pensacola Child Custody Attorney to ensure you and your child are protected moving forward.
Speaking to an attorney at our Pensacola office is free of charge, and we accept calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Contact us at 850-999-5857 or complete an online contact form to get in touch with a member of our team today.