About Florida Child Custody Laws

Each state has its own laws regarding child custody. It is important to be familiar with the specific laws in your state. In Florida, judges do what is best for the child. In most cases this involves both parents sharing responsibility.

Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act

The Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act in Florida states that the goal of child custody in Florida is for both parents to be in frequent contact with the child and every attempt will be made for parents to share responsibility.

Shared Custody

Florida does not have joint custody, instead they have shared custody. In shared custody, parents are required to work together to make decisions for the child and neither parent has more leverage in these decisions.

Sole Custody

If one parent is deemed unfit to share custody, sole custody may be granted to the other parent by a Florida judge.

Visitation Rights

In cases where one parent receives sole custody, they other parent will have visitation rights. The judge will determine whether this visitation with be supervised or unsupervised. A parent with visitation rights does not have an decision making rights.

Rotating Custody

Rotating custody involves children spending equal time with both parents on a rotating schedule. Florida judges do not encourage this arrangement, believing that it is not in the best interest of the children.