Parenting Plans in Florida

Guidelines for Florida Parenting Plans and Agreements

Parenting plans (sometimes called custody agreements in other states) are mandatory in all responsibility cases. Parenting plans outline how parents will share the rights and responsibilities of raising their children, as well as time-sharing schedules.

• Which parent submits the parenting plan? A settlement plan is submitted by the parents together. Generally, the judge approves the plan as is, but has the power to make changes if it is in the children’s best interests.
• What happens during trial? Each parent submits a proposed plan during a trial. Based on the evidence presented, the judge creates a final plan.

As long as it meets the requirements for your situation, you can use any template or format, including the Custody X Change template. Your plan will be created by a lawyer, mediator, or other professional.

Typical Parenting Plan Guidelines

Make sure your parenting plan is detailed and contains all the information the court needs. You can make your plan more effective by explaining how your family’s needs and disagreements will be handled.

Plans must include:

• Child care responsibilities, parental rights, and parental responsibilities
• Educational, health care, extracurricular activities, religion, travel, and discipline decisions will be shared
• Dividends for education, medical and dental care, and child care expenses (This does not include child support.)
• What time-sharing schedule will be used, including how it will be divided
• Transportation and child exchanges
• Communication between parents
• Communication between the children and the other parent during time-sharing
• Plan and schedule changes: how they will be handled
• Disputes regarding parenting time and the parenting plan will be resolved in accordance with the parenting plan

Furthermore, plans should anticipate future needs. In addition, describe how other issues affecting your children will be handled, such as health care, social media use, driving, etc.

Comprehensive Documents for The Realities of Co-Parenting

The ideal parenting plan is specific yet flexible. When parenting plans or agreements are ambiguously worded or short on detail, parents will often disagree. When parenting plans are overly rigid, there will be constant conflicts when everyday life does not go as planned.

Experienced lawyer Beth Reineke is eminently qualified to help parents create realistic and lasting parenting plans. She is a Florida Supreme Court Certified mediator and a trained parent coordinator who has helped resolve high-conflict and legally complex custody disputes.

Ms. Reineke offers mediation services for parents with unresolved disputes and drafting of documents for parents who need to put their co-parenting plans in writing. She delivers comprehensive parenting plans to clients throughout the Tampa Bay Area.

Neutral Mediator for Custody Agreements and Shared Parenting Plans

A parenting plan can be a stand-alone document, as in a paternity case, or a component of the marital settlement agreement in dissolution of marriage (divorce). Attorney Mediator Beth Reineke strives to mediate and draft parenting plans that are clear, practical and enforceable.

We cover all the bases in mediating and drafting parenting plans:

• Time sharing (visitation) — weekends, overnights and other parenting time
• Parenting schedules — pickup/drop, vacation, holidays, extracurriculars
• Communication — frequency, designated time and mode of contact
• Decision-making — schooling, religious upbringing, health care, general welfare
• Relocation and custody
• Other facets of shared parenting responsibility
• Mediation or other forum for resolving future disputes

Do you need a parent coordinator to resolve an impasse? See our Parent Coordination FAQ.