What is the Difference Between Parental Responsibility and Time-Sharing in Florida?

Many people think that time-sharing and parental responsibility are one and the same. However, in Florida, they are two very different concepts. If you are getting a divorce, have a paternity dispute, or other child custody conflict, it is important to know what these terms mean and how to uphold your rights. Below, one of our Tampa child custody attorneys explains further.

Parental Responsibility vs. Time-sharing 

During child custody disputes, decisions must be made regarding parental responsibility and time-sharing. Parental responsibility refers to a parent’s ability to make important life decisions for the child. These include where the child attends school, what religion they are raised in, the medical treatment they receive, and more. Time-sharing, on the other hand, refers to where the child will live and which parent they will spend most of their time with. More than likely this will be joint time sharing. This is known as physical custody in other states.

Florida law did use the term ‘child custody’ at one point. In 2008, however, the law was changed and the term ‘custody’ was replaced with ‘parental responsibility’ and ‘time-sharing’. Lawmakers believed the change was necessary to minimize conflicts regarding custody. The term ‘time-sharing,’ was used instead to show that both parents play an important role in their child’s life and raise them, rather than ‘visiting’ their child when they did not have shared joint custody.

Types of Parental Responsibility

 There are three different types of parental responsibility in Florida. These are as follows:

• Sole Parental Responsibility, in which just one parent has the right to make decisions,
• Shared Parental Responsibility, which occurs when the parents make decisions for their child together, and
• Shared Parental Responsibility with Ultimate Responsibility, which applies when one parent has the final say when making all decisions or certain designated decisions for the child.

Types of Time-sharing

 Like with parental responsibility, there are also three different types of time-sharing in Florida. These are:

• Majority time-sharing, which is an arrangement in which one parent has most overnights with a child in a year. This parent is known as the primary residential parent.
• Equal time-sharing, which applies when both parents have the same number of overnights in a given year.
• Supervised time-sharing, which occurs when one parent only has the right to visit the child in a supervised setting. This arrangement is the most rare and only applies when the visiting parent has a previous history of child neglect or abuse, domestic violence, serious mental health disorders, or untreated substance abuse problems.

The time a parent spends with a child determines the calculation of child support under the Florida Child Support Guidelines.

Our Child Custody Lawyers in Tampa Can Ensure Your Rights are Upheld

 If you are involved in a child custody dispute, it is critical that you understand the terms used in Florida and how they may apply to your case. At All Family Law Group, P.A., our Tampa child custody lawyers can explain more about these in-depth and make sure your rights are protected so you obtain the most favorable outcome. Call us now at 813-672-1900 or contact us online to request a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys and to get the legal help you need.  Se habla Español.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/Sections/0061.13.html