Although there is great emotional weight attached to many of the potential issues that arise from parents separating or divorcing in Palm Beach Gardens, child custody is arguably the most sensitive of those issues. The decisions made during child custody will impact a child's daily life, a child's relations with both parents, and ultimately a child's overall wellbeing for many years. Understanding how child custody works in the state of Florida and having an experienced legal advocate able to assist you during the process makes tremendous difference in ensuring that you achieve an outcome that serves your child's best interests.

In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, attorney Grant Gisondo of Gisondo Law has been helping parents navigate their Child custody palm beach gardens disputes with skill, patience, and persistent representation for over ten years. Below you will find the information you will need to understand the child custody process at the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Child Custody in Florida
In 2008, Florida courts changed their terminology around custody of children to be Parenting Time and Parenting Responsibility rather than sole, joint, etc. Parenting time relates to how much time parents will spend with their children and parenting responsibility relates to the amount of authority each parent has in making decisions regarding their children.
Parenting Responsibility covers substantial life issues of the child (i.e. education, medical care, religion etc) and is most often done on a joint basis between the parents- known in Florida courts as Joint Parenting Responsibility unless one parent would harm the child if they made decisions independently, in which case the court would grant Sole Parenting Responsibility to one parent.
Parenting Time relates to where the child will physically be (at one parent's house or the other) and provides for equal and ongoing contact between both parents and their child, unless it is determined by the court to be contrary to the child's best interests to have contact with their other parent.

How Custody In Florida Is Determined By Courts In Palm Beach Gardens
If the parents cannot agree on the custody of their child, then a judge will be required to make a final decision that looks at each Child’s best interest. In Florida the Statute that provides for this type of custody decision is 61.13. The Court looks at several factors when determining custody including (but not limited to):

Ability of the parent to provide for a child’s normal relationship with both parents; when making the decision, the Judges prefer parents who will help the parents have/maintain a positive parent/child relationship.
Moral fitness of each parent; this is an evaluation of the conduct and lifestyle of each parent and how the parent has acted during his or her life to show he or she would make a good parent.
The physical and mental health of each parent; the United States has over 30 million children and in many cases, the physical and/or mental health of the parent is taken into account when determining if he or she can provide adequate care for the child.
School records of each child and where the child lives, and where the child belongs athletically; Florida courts will not only look at the child’s educational and social stability to determine how stable and how healthy a child lives.
Child’s wishes; if the child is mature enough and are old enough, then the child’s opinion weighs heavily on how the custody will be determined.
Evidence regarding Domestic Violence or substance abuse; courts take these types of behaviors very seriously and those findings will affect the determination of custody.
Each parent’s cooperation in providing for a child’s time-sharing schedule; courts look unfavorably on parents who try and interfere with the parent/child relationship.

Designing A Parenting Plan For You And Your Minor Child In Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

Each custody case requires an established final Parenting Plan (the written agreement between parents regarding their time share and all responsibilities for their children after the parents are divorced) in accordance with Florida Statutes. The Parenting Plan cannot be changed without court approval.

The Parenting Plan must include but is not limited to:
1. Schedule of time shares between both parents for weekdays, weekends, holiday time, and school vacation time.
2. How each parent will communicate with the other parent and their minor child(ren).
3. Which parent is responsible for picking up and/or dropping off the child(ren) at school and other activities.
4. How decisions are made by both parents regarding the child's education, medical care, and religion.
5. Provisions regarding travel and/or moving with children.

Parents who prepare a Parenting Plan that outlines areas of potential future conflict can minimize the number of future disputes, Attorney Grant Gisondo has worked with many parents to create Parenting Plans that provide practical and comprehensive solutions for the long-term benefit of their minor child(ren).

Types of Time-Sharing Arrangements

Different forms of time-sharing arrangements can be found in Palm Beach Gardens, from which you can create a time-sharing schedule tailored specifically for your family. Some of the most common types of time-sharing arrangements include:

Equal Time-Sharing (50/50): Equal time-sharing involves equal time-sharing between both parents. This arrangement is ideal when both parents reside close to one another, communicate with each other, and can be flexible in providing their child's schedule.

Primary Residence and Visitation: In this arrangement, one parent has the child live with him/her (the primary residential parent), while the other parent has visitation as agreed upon. A primary residence with visitation usually works best if the parents live a significant distance from one another or if one parent's work schedule does not allow for him/her to be available to parent at times when the child is available to parent.

Supervised Time-Sharing: If there is a history of domestic violence, substance abuse, or other reasons that may pose a danger to the child, the court may require supervised time-sharing for one parent. Supervision can be provided by a neutral third party.

Rotating Schedule: Many families utilize various forms of rotating schedules such as a week-on/week-off schedule or other forms of rotating schedules to provide the child equal time with each parent while still maintaining consistency for the parent-child relationship.

Modifying a Child Custody Order in Palm Beach Gardens
Life can change unexpectedly at any time, and sometimes this means that a current custody arrangement is not in a child's best interest anymore, therefore custody orders can be modified under Florida Law by requesting this from the court. A modification can be made if there has been a significant or material change to a parent's circumstances after the original order was entered.

Reasons for modifying a custody agreement:

One parent will relocate to another city/state.
One parent's schedule has significantly changed
Evidence of neglect, abuse or substance use by one of the parents.
The child has changing requirements as they become mature
One of the parents does not comply with the previously established time-shared schedule

To successfully obtain a modification of a custody order, a petition needs to be filed with the court and parents must be able to prove that the modification is required to benefit the child. Palm Beach Gardens attorney Grant Gisondo represents parents seeking to establish a custody order for their children and those seeking to modify a custody order by ensuring that the child is considered first in every action taken regarding custody of the child.

Child Custody and Relocation in Palm Beach Gardens
If you plan to move more than 50 miles away from your current home for over 60 days, you must get written consent from the other parent to do so or seek approval from the courts in accordance with Florida law. If you have not completed either of these tasks prior to moving, you could face legal issues. These include your child being ordered returned to their current home or you being subject to a fine.

Attorney Gisondo works with parents on both sides of the issues related to relocation — whether you want to move with your child or wish to prevent a parent from moving and disrupting your child’s relationship with you.

Why Should You Choose Gisondo Law for Child Custody Matters in Palm Beach Gardens?
When you decide who will represent you regarding custody issues, obviously, you want to feel comfortable that you have made the right choice. Attorney Gisondo is:

Board Certified as a Family Law and Marital Law lawyer in Florida (fewer than 1% of all attorneys hold this designation) and has demonstrated extraordinary level of knowledge, skill, and ethical behavior in those areas of law.
Professional background includes over ten years of experience handling complex custody cases in Palm Beach County.

The office of Mr. Gisondo is located in Palm Beach Gardens, which aids him in understanding the local courts and judges' preferences.

He works with you in a non-judgmental way (compassionately), as each family is different; therefore, he will create a plan that is unique to your family.

Attorney Gisondo offers free consultations, so come and discuss your situation at no cost.

The priority at Gisondo Law is your child's future. Therefore, Mr. Gisondo works very hard to get a custody agreement that protects your rights as a parent and meets your child's best interest throughout every decision.

Here Are Some Ways to Find an Attorney in Palm Beach Gardens
If you are involved in a child custody dispute in Palm Beach Gardens, don't wait to hire an attorney.  The sooner you hire an Palm beach gardens family law attorney, the better off you will be in keeping your relationship with your child and in protecting your custody rights.
Call (561) 530-4568 for a free consultation
Go to gisondolaw.com
500 Village Square Crossing, Suite 103, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
Gisondo Law - Supporting Families in Palm Beach Gardens When They Need it the Most.