Source: https://www.treasurecoastlawfirm.com/Family-Law/Family-Law-FAQ/How-does-a-court-decide-which-parent-will-get-custody-of-a-child.shtml
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 08:28:52+00:00

Document:
In the 2008 legislative session, Florida made sweeping changes in its law regarding how, what was commonly referred to in the public as "custody" or "primary residence" is determined. The term "custody" is not a proper term under Florida law even though it has been used for years by the public, lawyers and judges to describe the parent with whom a child primarily lives. Because of the extensive impact of the new legislative changes, requiring a revision to not only many statutes, but numerous Supreme Court forms, as well as the likely creation of new ones, this law does not go into effect until October 1, 2008.
In its most simplistic explanation, this new law eliminates the terms "custody", "custodial" and "non-custodial parent", "primary residence", "primary residential parent" and "visitation" from Chapter 61 and all other statutes which utilize these arcane and often litigation inducing terms, in exchange for shared parenting plans and time-sharing arrangements.
However, the law goes further by expanding the considerations of shared parental responsibility and in the establishment of parenting plans, which include time-sharing schedules, which are now mandatory. The text of the new law can be downloaded at http://laws.flrules.org/files/Ch_2008-061.pdf.
"Shared Parental Responsibility" versus "Sole Parental Responsibility"
In Florida, the Court has two initial options when deciding "parental responsibility" issues. The Court can award the parties "Shared Parental Responsibility" or it can award one of the parties "Sole Parental Responsibility". What is the difference between "Shared Parental Responsibility" and "Sole Parental Responsibility" you might ask? Under the new statute, "Sole Parental Responsibility" means a court-ordered relationship in which one parent makes decisions regarding the minor child. "Shared parental responsibility" means a court-ordered relationship in which both parents retain full parental rights and responsibilities with respect to their child and in which both parents confer with each other so that major decisions affecting the welfare of the child will be determined jointly.
Generally speaking, the courts favor Shared Parental Responsibility. The terms "Primary Physical Residence" or "Primary Residential Responsibility" were in the past considered by many to be the "buzzwords" for what is generally referred to as "custody" in many other states. Those terms have now been deleted from the 2008 version of the statute in favor of the Court now developing a "Parenting Plan" for the child(ren). A "parenting plan" 1 has certain minimum requirements (see footnote) 2 .
Another option for parents who generally "get along" with each other is "rotating physical custody" (50/50). This type of situation has, in the past, generally not been favored by the courts and the statutes 9 . However, rotating custody is becoming more in "vogue" at the current time 10 .
In many cases, a consideration of these factors results in awarding custody to the parent who has been the child's primary caretaker during the marriage/relationship 11 . Although this is often the child's mother, any preference for the mother strictly on a gender basis is outmoded and has been abrogated by statute and case law on the subject 12 . In many cases, fathers have been proven to be the better parent and have been awarded primary residence.
1 Under the statute, a "parenting plan" is defined as follows: "Parenting plan" means a document created to govern the relationship between the parties relating to the decisions that must be made regarding the minor child and shall contain a time-sharing schedule for the parents and child. The issues concerning the minor child may include, but are not limited to, the child's education, health care, and physical, social, and emotional well-being. In creating the plan, all circumstances between the parties, including the parties' historic relationship, domestic violence, and other factors must be taken into consideration. The parenting plan shall be developed and agreed to by the parents and approved by a court or, if the parents cannot agree, established by the court.
"As stated in section 61.13(2)(b)1, "[i]t is the public policy of this state to assure that each minor child has frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the ... marriage of the parties is dissolved and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of childrearing." A natural parent should not be precluded from asserting valid parental rights, irrespective of a default judgment entered against him. See Rhines; Doane v. Doane, 279 So.2d 46 (Fla. 4th DCA 1973)."
Sole parental responsibility of the parties' child could not be awarded to the former wife absent a specified finding on the record or in the final judgment that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the child. Griffin v. Griffin, 665 So. 2d 352 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1st Dist. 1995).
a. In ordering shared parental responsibility, the court may consider the expressed desires of the parents and may grant to one party the ultimate responsibility over specific aspects of the child's welfare or may divide those responsibilities between the parties based on the best interests of the child. Areas of responsibility may include primary residence, education, medical and dental care, and any other responsibilities that the court finds unique to a particular family.
b. The court shall order "sole parental responsibility, with or without visitation rights, to the other parent when it is in the best interests of" the minor child.
6 Trial court could not award wife sole parental responsibility for minor children without first making finding that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to children. West's F.S.A. 61.13(2)(b) 2. Schram v. Schram, 932 So. 2d 245 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 4th Dist. 2005).
Trial court was required to make a specific finding that shared parental responsibility would have been detrimental to the parties' child before awarding mother sole parental responsibility. West's F.S.A. 61.13(2)(b) 2. Evans v. Woodard, 898 So. 2d 230 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2d Dist. 2005).
The trial court abused its discretion when it awarded sole parental responsibility to wife, in divorce proceeding, where there was no finding that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to the children. West's F.S.A. 61.13(2)(b)2. Coyne v. Coyne, 895 So. 2d 469 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 2d Dist. 2005). Trial courts are required to make a specific finding of detriment to the child before awarding sole parental responsibility. West's F.S.A. 61.13(2)(b)2. Maslow v. Edwards, 886 So. 2d 1027 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 5th Dist. 2004).
Trial court's failure to make a specific finding that shared parental responsibility would be detrimental to child before awarding sole parental responsibility to mother necessitated remand of paternity action. West's F.S.A. 61.13(2)(b)2. Maslow v. Edwards, 886 So. 2d 1027 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 5th Dist. 2004).
"On the contrary, section 61.121, Florida Statutes (1997), requires that the trial court make a finding that rotating custody is in the best interest of the child. In light of the long-standing presumption that rotating the primary residence is not in the best interest of the child, the trial court should carefully examine a marital settlement agreement providing for such an arrangement and exercise its discretion in determining whether it is in the child's best interest. See Bracken v. Bracken, 704 So.2d 746, 747 (Fla. 4th DCA 1998). See also Mandell v. Mandell, 741 So.2d 617, 618 (Fla. 2d DCA 1999)(holding that section 61.121 did not set aside the long held presumption that rotating custody is not in the best interest of a minor child).  Florida courts have identified several factors that a trial court should consider in determining whether the circumstances overcome the presumption against rotating the primary residence: (1) the age and maturity of the child; (2) whether the child is in school; (3) the proximity of the parents' residences; (4) the child's preferences; (5) the disruptive effect of the rotation on the child; (6) the reasonableness of the periods of time spent with each parent; (7) the relation of the periods of custody to divisions in the child's life, such as the school year, and (8) the parents' attitude toward one another or how their attitude will be perceived by the child. Bracken, 704 So.2d at 747 (citing Langford v. Ortiz, 654 So.2d 1237, 1238 (Fla. 2d DCA 1995)); MacConnell v. Cascante, 668 So.2d 668, 670 (Fla. 4th DCA 1996)."
10 In this author's opinion, it is more in "vogue" because of Florida's somewhat onerous child support obligations imposed on the parent who has less than 146(40%) overnight per year. However, for many parents this type of timesharing has worked out beautifully and has allowed the child to continue to have a strong bond with those parents.
2. "Florida Statutes and in this district by opinion in Kuutti v. Kuutti, 645 So.2d 80 (Fla. 4th DCA 1994)(en banc). Some of the trial court's comments lead us to believe that his decision to impose limitations on overnight visitation was based partially on the "tender years" doctrine.

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