Taking Care of the Children
The law has changed in recent years regarding the care of children after a divorce, recognizing more explicitly the responsibility of both parents to care for the children financially and to remain involved in their children's lives as much as possible. Time sharing used to be called custody and visitation. Generally, one party with "primary custody" would provide the primary home environment and care for the child, and the other party would have "visitation rights." Custody and visitation have recently been changed to "time sharing," and parents have a "parenting plan" that more equitably divides the parenting responsibilities and housing for the children whenever possible. The courts divide child support responsibilities more equitably than ever before, as well.
If you are facing a divorce and children are involved, contact me, Michele Hobby of Hobby Law, P.A. I will help you through the process of creating a time sharing parenting plan.
Amicable Resolutions to Custody and Visitation ∙ Parenting Plans
A major focus for my legal practice is finding resolution to my clients' divorce matters like time sharing and child support outside of the courtroom through alternative dispute resolution (ADR). When divorcing parties are unable to come up with a workable parenting plan on their own, the issues need to be litigated. The parties' attorneys argue the issues in court, and a judge makes the final binding decisions.
No matter how contentious a relationship might be, most divorcing couples would rather work together to create a parenting plan and child support agreement or child support modification than to have a judge make these determinations. As a Clermont parenting plan lawyer, I help my clients craft a parenting plan outside of the courtroom whenever possible.
Parenting Plans ∙ The Best Interests of the Child
The central consideration of a parenting plan is the best interests of the child. Whether the parenting plan is decided in litigation or mediation, the court will need to approve the agreement based on the child's or children's best interests. To make this determination, the court looks at factors that include:
- Capacity and willingness of each parent to raise the child and foster a positive relationship
- Stability and continue providing living arrangements for the child
- Geography
- Moral fitness of the parents
- The preferences of the child, when appropriate
Child Support Agreements
The complexities involved with calculating an accurate child support payment are immense, requiring attention to detail. The court will look at a number of factors to determine child support, including:
- The respective incomes of the parties
- The amount of time sharing in the parenting plan
- Health insurance costs
- Child care costs
- Extra costs associated with any special needs the child might have
I am well versed in these and the other factors that the court will use to determine the viability of a parenting plan or child support agreement. I litigate these matters for my clients regularly, and I am also able to help clients work out these matters in mediation or other ADR method outside of the courtroom, drafting parent plans or child support agreements that protect their needs and can achieve approval from the court.
Contact a Clermont Custody and Visitation Lawyer ∙ 800-99-HOBBY
From the Hobby Law, P.A., office in Clermont, I represent clients throughout central Florida, offering reasonable uncontested divorce rates that could save money for my clients. Call 888-99-HOBBY (888-994-6229) or e-mail the firm to schedule a consultation.
