Exploring Florida Parenting Plans

Sometimes, parents are unable to agree about important details regarding their child. Parenting plans can help parents come to an agreement about some of these details in order to ensure that their child’s best interests are met. The following article will provide some information regarding Florida parenting plans.

What is a parenting plan?

A parenting plan is an agreement made by two parents that includes specific details about how they plan to raise their child. Parenting plans establish very clear guidelines for both parents to follow and can be especially important in contested divorce, child custody, or child support cases. Parenting plans can be recognized by the court and are enforceable and modifiable.

What type of information should be included in a parenting plan?

Parenting plans should include details regarding:

1. How parental rights, responsibilities, and childcare tasks will be shared
2. How decisions about education, medical care, extracurricular activities, religious participation, travel, and discipline will be shared
3. How educational, medical care, and childcare expenses will be divided
4. How time-sharing will be divided
5. How transportation and child exchanges will work
6. How parents will communicate with each other
7. How children will communicate with the other parent during time-sharing
8. How changes to the plan and schedules will be handled
9. How conflicts related to the parenting plan and parenting time will be resolved

What type of parenting plans are available in Florida?

There are four types of parenting plans available in the state of Florida, which include:

1. The “basic” plan- This plan is applicable if both parents:

• Agree on most aspects of shared responsibility and time-sharing
• Communicate reasonably well
• Do not have a history of domestic violence, child abuse or substance abuse
• Are not planning to live more than 50 miles from each other

2. The “long-distance” plan- This plan is applicable if both parents:

• Agree on most aspects of shared responsibility and time-sharing
• Communicate reasonably well
• Do not have a history of domestic violence, child abuse or substance abuse
• Are planning to live more than 50 miles from each other

The long-distance plan also requires additional details about children’s travel between homes and must include rules for how children will communicate with one parent while in the other’s care.

3. The “highly-structured” plan- This plan is applicable if both parents:

• Struggle to agree on shared responsibility and time-sharing
• Need help communicating with each other civilly
• Do not have a history of domestic abuse, child abuse or substance abuse

This kind of plan sets strict rules for decision-making and time-sharing to prevent conflict between the parents.

4. The “safety-focused” plan- This plan is applicable if children or parents are at risk due to:

• Domestic violence
• Child abuse
• Substance abuse
• Criminal activity

In this type of plan, the parent who poses a risk receives either unsupervised time-sharing with no overnight visits, or supervised time-sharing only. Furthermore, if time-sharing is supervised, the plan must explain who will supervise and where.

If You Need Help Developing a Parenting Plan, Speak to a Florida Family Law Attorney

If you are in the process of creating a parenting plan and you need help determining what details to include, please contact Greater Orlando Family Law. Our experienced Orlando family attorneys will be happy to answer any questions and address any concerns you may have.