Child custody laws of Florida are in place for the unhappy occasion of divorce by a couple who need to determine what is best for the children involved. Many times, this isn’t a cut and dried application. There may be some dispute as to who gets full custody, is it joint custody and how this whole custody issue will be resolved.
Florida’s child custody laws are online under the heading of Florida Statutes and can be found in Section 61. Do you have any idea how the custody arrangements will be handled? This can be a good start because if you and your spouse can decide ahead of time who gets the children when, the judge will be more amenable to allowing you two to work things out between yourselves.
If you cannot come to a meeting of the minds, you will need to hire an attorney and schedule a custody hearing. It is always best to discuss everything with your lawyer before you go to the hearing because this person will have the experience, not just with divorce and custody, but with that specific court and maybe even that judge in particular.
Getting physical custody of the child may be what you want. This means that you will be in charge of this child’s emotional, physical, developmental, educational requirements and all other needs that may arise. Will you be able to offer the best home for the child? Can you provide a loving environment that is stable and consistent with the child’s experience so far? Offering your spouse, your child’s other parent, time with your child is a positive way to seek custody.
Doing your research before going forward with a child custody hearing is a good idea. Knowing that your attorney has done this research and can answer your questions can give you a level of comfort as well.
Source: FindLaw, “Florida child custody laws,” accessed Oct. 19, 2015
