How does a Florida judge decide who should get custody of a child?

Sometimes when people hear the words child custody, they may automatically believe this means that the mothers or one parent automatically gets custody of a child, while the fathers or the other parent ends up just being visitors. While this may have been true in limited cases many years ago, the truth is that this is neither exact nor correct. Florida laws have changed over the years and Florida judges realize that such rulings are generally not in the best interest of the child or children. At the end of the day, Florida judges are legally bound to do what is best for the children when it comes to a child custody battle.

Research over the years has shown that both parents play an extremely important role in the lives of children. For that reason, it is now more common for parents to share custody of their children. In fact, the state of Florida changed its laws in 2008, removing the terms “primary custody” and “sole custody” in favor of the term “parenting plan.”

Under this revised Florida law, parents in Florida are expected to work together to come up with a parenting plan that is best for their children. Of course, this is not always an easy thing to do, even when both parents truly want what is best for their children.

That’s when parents can turn to an experienced Orlando family attorney for help and guidance.

An experienced Orlando child custody attorney can represent the interests and rights of the parents as they work to reach an agreement through negotiation or mediation, or in court if the parents are unable to reach an agreement that is in their best interest. their children.

When a case comes to court, the judge presiding over the case considers 20 legal factors to determine an appropriate parenting plan. An experienced Orlando family law attorney can help gather evidence and testimony to support her client’s case in light of these factors.

Child custody is one of the most emotional and controversial issues in Florida family law because the stakes are so high. In addition, both parents now have to show in court why they should be given more time with the children or more authority, since mothers are not automatically awarded primary custody.

An Orlando family attorney with years of experience can be of great help to parents who are struggling to remain an important part of their children’s lives.