When resolving child custody, visitation, parenting time, and parenting plan disputes, judges are required to evaluate the merits of each argument according to the “best interests of the child” standard. Essentially, this means that if you and your child’s other parent can’t agree on an issue and a judge is called upon to settle the dispute, that judge will base their decision on their interpretation of which resolution proposed would be in your child’s best interests.
As you begin creating a parenting plan (either with your child’s other parent or on your own – with the intention of presenting your proposal as a starting point for negotiation), you’ll want to keep this standard in mind. Yes, you must consider whether your proposals are practical for you and will affect the rest of your family. But – at the heart of every bullet point – you’ll want to ask yourself, “Is this proposal in my child’s best interests?” If you begin with this standard in mind, you’ll be on the right track.
If you and your spouse plan to co-parent your minor children after your marriage has ended, it’s important to connect with a trusted divorce law firm Tampa, FL residents rely on. When you schedule a consultation with the experienced Florida legal team at The McKinney Law Group, we’ll not only provide personalized guidance regarding the different approaches to the divorce process that you can take moving forward, we can also assist you with beginning to draft a parenting plan. You’ll need to have a parenting plan in place by the end of the divorce process (unless one parent is granted sole legal and physical custody and the other parent isn’t planning on remaining in your children’s lives), so it will benefit you to start thinking about this process now.
If you and your spouse share minor children and are contemplating the healthiest way for your family to transition from one household into two households, consider scheduling a consultation with our trusted trusted divorce lawyer Tampa, FL trusts today. Our firm has extensive experience assisting divorcing couples with the parenting plan drafting process. We understand that no two families operate in the exact same ways. As a result, we take a personalized approach to parenting plan drafting so that the end product truly reflects your child’s best interests and honors your family’s unique needs.
The process of drafting a parenting plan can be intimidating. Setting up expectations for shared parenting when you and your child’s other parent are no longer living under the same roof can be understandably overwhelming. Thankfully, our legal team has experience with a host of tools and approaches that can help to make this process both efficient and effective while prioritizing an empathetic, low-stress, and personalized tone at every step along the way. You don’t have to navigate the process of drafting a parenting plan without knowledgeable guidance. Instead, schedule a consultation with our trusted Tampa, FL divorce law firm today; we look forward to speaking with you.
If you have questions about a prenup agreement or a postnup agreement or require legal assistance in other areas of Family Law you may always contact Damien McKinney of The McKinney Law Group to discuss your case further. He can be reached by phone at 813-428-3400 or by e-mail at [email protected].
We now offer virtual prenuptial agreements. Contact us to inquire further about our virtual prenup option.