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What Is My Parental Responsibility After a Florida Divorce?

Serving Palm Beach County for Over 30 Years
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When children are involved in a divorce, the process of navigating through child custody issues can be stressful and emotional for all parties involved.  However, because a divorce can be particularly difficult for a child, parents should make sure that their child’s care and well-being is a priority.  Parental responsibility or duties that parents should assume, ensures that the transition after divorce goes as smoothly as possible for their children. Remember that just because your relationship with your spouse is ending, it does not mean that you are no longer a caring and trustworthy parent.  That’s why it’s important for parents to conduct themselves and their activities in a manner that foremost supports the best interests of their children.

Here are 6 ways to show parental responsibility in your child’s life:

  1. Shared Parental Responsibility.  In Florida, parents are encouraged to share the rights and responsibilities, as well as the joys, of raising their children.  In fact, under Florida law, parents should share responsibility as long as it is not detrimental to their children.
  2. Parenting Plans.  In most instances, parents must come up with a parenting plan that addresses the details of raising their children including who is responsible for making major decisions or for the daily tasks associated with the upbringing of their children.  Parenting plans also typically include designations indicating who is in charge of all health care and school related matters, visitation schedules, and methods that are to be used for communicating with the children.
  3. Frequent and Continuing Contact.  After parents separate or are divorced in Florida, in most cases, both parents should have regular and continuing contact with their children.  Each parent must ensure that their children have free and unhampered access to the other parent.
  4. Promote Positive Relationships.  Under Florida law, parents have an obligation to promote positive relationships between their children and the other parent.  This means that parents should not disparage each other or discuss the divorce in the presence of their children, and they should not do anything that would estrange their children from the other parent.
  5. Pay Child Support.  Depending on the custody arrangement, one parent may owe child support to the other parent.  Child support is generally used to cover the housing, food, and clothing of the children so when a payment is not timely, the children do not receive the support they need and deserve.
  6. Seek Counseling or other Help.  Before a divorce is final, parents are ordered to attend a parenting class on the consequences of a divorce where families with children are involved.  In addition to this class, parents may have also consulted other professionals such as family therapists or counselors.  If one or both parents continue to have issues with co-parenting, or if any of the children involved appear to have a difficult time transitioning, it may be in the best interests of everyone to seek further counseling or even the advice of an experienced West Palm Beach Family Law Attorney.

Contact a Dedicated and Knowledgeable West Palm Beach Family Law Attorney Today

If you are filing for divorce and children are involved, it is imperative that you take proper steps to ensure that the best interests of your children are protected.   If you have any questions about divorce, child custody, or parental responsibility, both during and post-divorce, be sure to contact an experienced West Palm Beach Family Law Attorney as soon as possible.  At Eric C. Cheshire, P.A., we focus exclusively on divorce and family law, and we have extensive experience dealing with divorces that involve child custody issues.  Call us today at (561) 677-8090 to schedule your personal consultation with attorney Eric C. Cheshire, and find out what he can do for you.