When you are negotiating terms for divorce it is necessary to hire a good lawyer who can articulate your case and needs in front of a judge convincingly. In Florida, depending on how you file your divorce suit, the terms can be decided by yourselves with the help of a qualified mediator, or can be decided by a judge. Deciding on the visitation plans, which means deciding how, when and where the child or children of the divorcing couple will spend time with the parent who doesn’t have physical custody of them is a very delicate matter, fraught with great potential for long term emotional complications for the children.
Florida Laws on Visitation
In Florida, once a couple files for divorce, they can try and come up with a divorce settlement, and also decide on alimony, child custody and any additional support either with a collaborative mediator or a court-ordered mediator. As parents it is best to decide on a visitation plan, keeping in mind the emotional welfare of the child, and agreeing on joint custody, as this will provide the children with the greatest stability and security.
When the visitation times and schedules are worked out by the parents themselves, paying due attention to the needs and conveniences of the other party, the children are assured that they have the love and support of both the parents, and that their welfare is important enough for the parents to put aside their own differences and work together as parents. Divorce can be emotionally hard on the children without them being used as bargaining chips by their parents, or as pawns in their games to hurt each other. Sadly, this seems to be the case frequently. The Florida Family Courts try to minimize this sense of loss that vulnerable children face when the parents are going through an acrimonious divorce, and also try to maximize the relationship bonds of the children with their parents. In very young children, divorce can even lead to a feeling of loss of their very identity so they need both parents to feel secure of their place in the world.
Scheduling a Visitation Plan
When you are trying to schedule a visitation plan, you have to do so considering the schedule of the children in question; if they have school, baseball practice, junior soccer, or other sports activities, other lessons like learning a craft or music, these activities need to be taken into consideration. The children’s welfare and comfort, not to mention school schedule should be the first consideration. Their schooling shouldn’t be disturbed, whatever the conflict in scheduling the parents might face with regard to their own work. Children of divorced parents need this basic consideration to survive with their emotional well being intact. This is the reason many family courts in Florida encourage parents to arrange visitation according to their children’s individual needs. In extremely acrimonious cases where the parents are not able to reach an agreement, the family circuit court judge reviews all the available documents, and devises a visitation plan after talking to the children to figure out what would be in their best interests.
At Kenny Leigh & Associates, we know the problems that most fathers face when going through divorce. Traditionally the courts favor the mother, especially in cases of young children. We work hard to address this issue and we are passionate about fighting for the fathers’ rights. We take on only male clients, and our entire practice is geared towards fighting for the same. We operate from five locations in Florida for your convenience – Jacksonville, Boca Raton, Daytona Beach, Fleming Island and Gainesville. You will be hard-pressed to find a more qualified lawyer willing to go the extra mile for your cause, especially if you’re a father fearing that you will lose your children in case of divorce. Call us today if you’re a father and thinking of divorce.
By Kenny Leigh
