Sandy T. Fox Child Custody Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Most divorces are accompanied by stress and emotional pain.  The process is even more difficult for spouses with children. Two terms in Florida statutes have been changed to help reduce the emotional conflicts and trauma of divorce. Child custody will be known as shared parental responsibility and visitation will be called time-sharing.  The changes will take effect October 1, 2008.

To safeguard the child's best interest, parental plans have become more detailed, covering children’s  daily activities, the level of interaction with parents, religious practices, and wishes of the child.

Parental plans, as laid out in the statute, will act as a framework mapping out the rights and responsibilities of both the parents in the raising of their children. This will help attorneys guide parents toward what will be best for a child's welfare. Shared parental responsibility and time-sharing take the emotion out of establishing visitation rights for many parents.

It is hard for many parents to accept that they must petition for the right to visit their own child or that their legal custody is for a limited time.  The terms child custody and visitation were perceived as negative for parents undergoing the stress of marriage dissolution. These changes will essentially help spouses to cooperate more with each other and think about the benefits of their child. 

If you need more information about parental plans, shared parental responsibility, or time-sharing laws, we can help you resolve your divorce or family law cases. Contact Miami-Dade Florida lawyer Sandy T. Fox at 888-217-7526 for immediate legal assistance to resolve your divorce case in Miami or Fort Lauderdale, Florida.