How Fort Lauderdale Parenting Plans Determine Who Makes Important Decisions On Behalf Of Your Child
Parents make all kinds of important decisions when raising children. These decisions have the power to impact their health, happiness, and success for years into the future. In cases of divorced or unmarried parents, parenting plans determine who has decision-making authority. Our Fort Lauderdale child time-sharing lawyer explains how the law applies and factors a judge is likely to consider when issuing a final order.
Including Parental Authority In Decision Making in Your Fort Lauderdale Parenting Plans
The Florida Statutes generally encourage child time-sharing arrangements in cases of divorce or when parents are unmarried. These allow both parties to remain active and involved in the child’s life and address important issues, such as the amount of time the child spends with each party, weekend visits, and extended stays on holidays and school breaks.
When creating a parenting plan through the Broward County Family Court, it is important to be as detailed as possible. This helps to protect your rights and avoids confusion when the unexpected arises. One of the areas you need to address is who has legal authority in making important decisions that impact your child.
This is a common provision in Florida parenting plans and has the potential to seriously impact important areas of your child’s life, including:
- Their religious upbringing;
- The type of medical care they receive;
- Their education and whether they go to private or public schools;
- The type of extracurricular activities they engage in;
- Their overall lifestyle and hobbies they enjoy.
Factors That Influence Parental Decision-Making Authority
The legal authority in making important decisions on your child’s behalf is included in child time-sharing negotiations in Fort Lauderdale. It is generally in the best interests of the parents to reach mutual agreements on such matters, as it allows for more personalized arrangements.
If you and your spouse do not see eye to eye and negotiations fail, a judge will have to decide based on how the law applies in your specific case. Factors the court will likely consider, which could impact each parent’s rights regarding decision-making authority, include:
- Each parent’s current relationship with the child;
- Their past relationship and the role they played in the child’s life;
- Their ability to put the child’s needs first and to make decisions that are in their best interests;
- Their own decision-making skills, how they live their lives, and whether there are any issues that endanger the child, such as allegations of abuse or drug and alcohol addiction.
To Protect Your Parental Rights, Contact Our Fort Lauderdale Child Time Sharing Lawyer
The outcome of child time-sharing proceedings can have major impacts on your rights as a parent and your ability to protect your child’s best interests. To get legal authority in decision-making included as part of your parenting plan, get the experienced, local legal representation you need from the law office of Vanessa L. Prieto. Call or contact us online and request a consultation with our Fort Lauderdale child time-sharing lawyer today.
Sources:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html
browardclerk.org/Divisions/Family
flcourts.gov/Resources-Services/Office-of-Family-Courts/Family-Court-in-Florida/Family-Law-Forms/Parenting-Plan-12.995-Forms-A-C/Parenting-Plan
