Various Factors That Influence Who Gets Child Custody in Florida
If you are in the process of a divorce or considering initiating one, it’s important that you understand how child custody is determined in the state of Florida. This will help you make a logical decision based on the facts.
The primary deciding factor is quite simple. The judge and court prefer to place the child under the custody of a parent that is willing to put the child’s needs above their own. What they are looking at is past behavior, and your knowledge of your child’s day-to-day life. Do you know the name of your child’s best friend? How about what time of the day your child usually eats? The judge and court want to place the child in the care of the parent that knows this information. Even if you are the bread-winner in your family, if you spend all of your time at work and the other spouse is the care-taker, they will have stronger grounds for custody.
They will also look at family relationships to determine whether or not the parent has a strong and loving relationship with the child. The court also looks at the relationship between you and your spouse. Are one of you more willing to accommodate to the other’s schedule changes? This parent shows that they want the child to have a relationship with the other parent, and this is what the court wants to see.
What is interesting about Florida courts is that they can divide up custody quite freely. By this I mean that one parent may be placed in charge of certain aspects of the child’s life, such as health care. The other parent may be given power over other aspects of the child’s life, such as education. This all comes down to determining what is in the best interest of the child. If you are in need of a Child Custody Lawyer in Polk County FL, call McMann Law today for your free consultation at (863) 393-9010.