The decisions made during a custody case can shape your relationship with your child for years, which is why it’s important to have a strategy from the beginning.
If you’re facing a custody dispute, you don’t have to go through it alone.
Every family is different, every child is different, and every parenting plan should reflect the realities of your family’s life. Our goal is to help you secure an arrangement that protects your relationship with your child while supporting their best interests. We help parents with parenting plans, time-sharing disputes, child custody cases, modifications of existing orders, relocation disputes, fathers’ rights matters, paternity cases, enforcement actions, and emergency custody concerns. Whether you’re creating a parenting plan for the first time or fighting to protect an existing one, we can help.
Some situations require immediate action: concerns about parental alienation, substance abuse, domestic violence, neglect, unsafe living conditions, or violations of court orders can have serious consequences for both parents and children. Our team is prepared to investigate the facts, gather evidence, and fight aggressively when a child’s wellbeing is at risk.
Life changes, and a parenting plan that worked years ago may no longer fit your family’s needs today. You may need a modification because your work schedule has changed, your child’s needs have evolved, the other parent wants to relocate, the current arrangement isn’t working, or the other parent isn’t following the order. We help parents pursue modifications and defend against unfair requests for change.
Parents choose our firm because we provide:
Yes. Florida law requires a court-approved parenting plan in every case involving minor children, regardless of whether the parents were married. The plan must address the time-sharing schedule, each parent’s daily responsibilities, and how major decisions about the child’s education, healthcare, and extracurricular activities will be made.
Florida judges apply a best interests of the child standard under § 61.13(3), weighing factors including each parent’s involvement in the child’s life, the stability of each home environment, the child’s established routine, and each parent’s willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other parent. There is no automatic presumption favoring either parent or a particular schedule.
Yes, but it requires demonstrating a substantial, material, and unanticipated change in circumstances since the original plan was entered. Common grounds include a parent’s relocation, a significant shift in the child’s needs, or a parent’s failure to comply with the existing arrangement. The proposed modification must also serve the child’s best interests.
Parental alienation refers to behavior by one parent that undermines the child’s relationship with the other parent, such as making false allegations, restricting contact, or manipulating the child’s perceptions. Florida courts view this seriously, and a parent found to be engaging in alienating behavior may face a modification of the parenting plan or other court sanctions.
Having an attorney review any parenting plan before it is finalized is strongly advisable even when both parents are in agreement. Parenting plans are legally binding and can be difficult to modify later. An experienced family law attorney can identify provisions that may create problems down the road and ensure your rights are fully protected in the agreement.
Not without your consent or court approval. Under Florida’s relocation statute, a parent who wants to move more than 50 miles away with a child must either get written agreement from the other parent or petition the court for permission. If you’re worried about a potential move, an attorney can help you understand your rights and respond quickly if a relocation request is filed.
A parenting plan is a court order, and violations, such as withholding time-sharing, making unilateral decisions, or ignoring agreed-upon terms, can be addressed through an enforcement or contempt action. Courts take these violations seriously and can order makeup time, modify the plan, or impose other consequences on the non-compliant parent.
