The “Best Interests” Standard in Florida (Part Two)

In Part One of this article, we examined a few of the factors that Florida family courts consider when making time-sharing and custody determinations. The following is a brief overview of some additional factors that play a role in decisions regarding what is in the “best interest of the child.”

Moral Fitness of Each Parent

Under Florida time-sharing laws, courts should examine the moral fitness of each parent when deciding how parenting responsibilities and custody should be shared. “Moral fitness” can refer to many different aspects of a parent’s life, including but not limited to the following:

• Substance abuse;
• Verbal or emotional abuse;
• Having undesirable visitors in the home;
• Having frequent, numerous casual romantic relationships with several different partners;
• Unlawful behavior or association with individuals who participate in unlawful activities; and
• Adultery, if the adulterous relationship had a negative effect on the child’s life.

A court wants to ensure that the child has a healthy environment in which to live and that the child is not exposed to immoral or undesirable behavior.

The Ability to Communicate With Each Other and Co-Parent

Because Florida laws favor a shared parenting relationship, courts want to make sure that two parents have the ability to communicate with one another and share parenting responsibilities in a healthy manner. This may include the willingness to abide by the court-approved time-sharing and visitation schedule. Additionally, if changes need to be made to the schedule, the court will try to determine whether the parents will be able to agree and work together regarding changes or whether they will want to drag the issue back into court each time a conflict arises.

Furthermore, each parent should be willing to keep the other fully informed of any developments or issues in the child’s life and to make decisions together regarding important parenting matters. Each parent should be supportive of the other parent’s relationship with the child and should not make disparaging remarks regarding the other parent to the child. This is all meant to limit the damage and stress of the divorce or custody battle on the child’s life.

All parents in Florida who will share time with a child must have a written parenting plan that sets out numerous guidelines, including:

• The specific time-sharing schedule;
• Which address will primarily be used for school and extracurricular activities;
• How the parents will communicate with the child and with each other;
• How the parents will decide on education and health care matters; and
• Who will be responsible for which daily parenting tasks.

Courts must approve a parenting plan before it can go into effect.

Contact an Experienced Family Law Attorney for Assistance with Your Custody Case

Because of the wide array of factors a court may consider when making time-sharing and custody decisions, you should always have the assistance of an experienced Boca Raton family law attorney who knows how to handle this type of case. Working together with the other parent can often lead to the best results, and an experienced lawyer can help negotiate a parenting and time-sharing plan that works for everyone. If you are facing any type of custody case, do not hesitate to call the law office of Alan R. Burton today to discuss your case.