Separated parents in Pinellas County often ask how quickly a court can set a temporary schedule for the children. A bill in this year’s legislative session would have answered that question with firm deadlines. It did not pass, and the practical consequence falls on parents who are living apart without a written agreement.
What the Bill Would Have Required
Senate Bill 1128 moved through the Judiciary Committee in February with a unanimous vote. It would have required that certain time-sharing matters be given priority on a court’s calendar, set procedural requirements for evidentiary hearings on motions to establish temporary parental responsibility and time-sharing, and required rather than authorized a court to determine an appropriate parenting plan in certain proceedings.
As filed, the bill also required that a motion to enforce compliance with a time-sharing order or agreement be heard within five business days, by the duty judge if the assigned judge was unavailable, and permitted that hearing to occur on a weekend, a holiday, or after regular business hours.
Both Versions Died in Committee
The Senate bill died in the Appropriations Committee on Criminal and Civil Justice on March 13, 2026. Its House companion, HB 971, died in the Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee the same day.
The Senate page still displays a July 1, 2026 effective date. That is the date the bill would have taken effect had it passed. Several secondary sources have reported it as current law. It is not.
What This Means for Separated Parents
Nothing about the existing framework changed. Temporary relief still moves at the pace of the family division docket in the Sixth Judicial Circuit.
For spouses living apart, that reality shapes a few decisions:
- A written parenting agreement signed before conflict develops usually resolves faster than a contested motion
- Informal schedules carry no enforcement weight until a court adopts them
- The rebuttable presumption of equal time-sharing applies whenever a case is filed, regardless of what the parties have been doing
- Documentation of the current arrangement matters if the schedule is later disputed
Parents working with a St. Petersburg, FL legal separation lawyer often address the schedule in writing well before anyone files anything.
Filing Is Still the Faster Route in Some Cases
Where one parent is withholding contact, waiting for a negotiated agreement can cost months. Filing a petition brings the court’s authority into the picture. That tradeoff is worth discussing early rather than after a schedule has broken down.
If you are separated and unsure whether to formalize a parenting arrangement now or wait, The McKinney Law Group Family & Divorce Lawyers represents clients throughout Florida and North Carolina, and our St. Petersburg legal separation attorneys can help you weigh the timing against your circumstances.