The law concerning children’s issues took a dramatic change when a new statute was enacted that removed the words custody and visitation from Florida law.  While the law took effect on October 1, 2008, it may apply to cases that are finalized on or after October 1, 2008.

Now the court establishes a parenting plan that sets out the way that the parents will be sharing their parental responsibility.  If a specific case is not suited for shared parental responsibility, the option for sole parental responsibility is still in place in Florida.

The parenting plan details how decisions are to be made so that the parents may designate ultimate decision-making authority to one parent for some decisions and others to the other parent.  All aspects of parenting are part of the final judgment.

Within the parenting plan, there is a time-sharing schedule that has replaced “visitation” and “access and contact.”  Now, there are no presumptions of equal time sharing; there is no presumption that the older more standard alternate weekends with weeknight dinners were to continue.  With the new time-sharing schedule, the parties have an opportunity to create what will work for each family.