Mandatory Parent Education

When the divorcing parties are parents, Florida courts require both parties to go through a four hour parent education and family stabilization course. This course gives parents techniques to use in order to reduce the stress and tension which will undoubtedly hurt the children. The best interests of the children are the primary focus in any divorce in which minor children are involved. Hope Haven Children’s Clinic and Family Center in Jacksonville offers a Children First in Divorce course for Duval and most surrounding counties. Additionally, some counties, excluding Duval County (unless a parent does not live locally), allow parents to take an approved on-line course. One site for this on-line course is Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course.

Shared Parental Responsibility

Florida’s no fault approach to divorce introduces a philosophy that extends to issues for the children. Parents are encouraged to share the responsibility of raising their children and to assure that the children will have frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the divorce. Important decisions regarding the children require mature and thoughtful discussion before the decision is made. Both parents don’t have to agree but the discussion must take place. The Florida Bar has developed an informative pamphlet called “Shared Parent Responsibility” which provides more information on this topic.

Shared parental responsibility is granted to the parties unless the Court believes that sole parental responsibility is warranted. Sole parental responsibility is not favored but can be granted in certain cases when shared parental is not in the best interest of the children.

Timesharing (previously called Child Custody and Visitation)

In most cases parents will share timesharing and will be jointly responsible for ensuring that major decisions affecting the welfare of the child will be determined jointly. One parent may be the majority timesharing parent, meaning that parent’s home will be the primary residence of the child. The other parent is then the minority timesharing parent and normally would be ensured frequent and continuing contact with the child. When the parents can’t agree on who should have primary custody, the court will order a parenting evaluation.

The parenting coordinator will be a person jointly agreed on by the judge and both parties, and who is recognized by the judge and the attorneys for both parties as someone whose training and background make them uniquely able to help the court determine which parent would be best suited to have majority timesharing. Both parties will share the cost of the coordinator unless ordered otherwise. For more detailed information about what’s involved in a parenting evaluation, click here.