In all family law actions involving minor children, the Court is required to include a parenting plan in its final judgment which establishes the party’s parental responsibility, time sharing rights and child support obligations.
Parental Responsibility is generally a detailed description on how the parents will share and be responsible for the daily tasks associated with child rearing including who will be responsible for any and all forms of health care, school related matters, other activities, and the methods and technology to be used by the parents to communicate with regard to the health, education and welfare of the children. Parental responsibility can be shared by the parents or one of the parents can be awarded sole responsibility to make decisions for the minor children.
Time Sharing, formerly known as visitation, is the schedule that specifies the time a minor child will spend with each parent including a division of holidays and breaks from school.
Child Support is a right belonging solely to the child and a set of guidelines established by the Florida legislature is used to determine the amount of child support to be paid from one parent to the other. Child support is not a requirement imposed by one parent on the other, but rather a dual obligation imposed on both parents by the State of Florida. Child support is based upon the party’s respective percentages of income, the cost of health insurance for the children, the cost of daycare for the children, and the amount of time sharing each parent has with the children. The parents’ share of responsibility for the cost of the children’s uncovered medical and dental expenses and extra-curricular activities can also be established by the court.