An important part of a parenting plan—also known as a court-ordered visitation schedule—in Florida is the time-sharing schedule, which sets forth how the child will spend time with each parent. These schedules should foster a continued and loving relationship between each parent and their child, protect the child from conflict, minimize any disruption to the child’s routine, ensure the child’s safety, and anticipate any potential scheduling changes.
Creating the Right Time-Sharing Schedule in Florida
Fortunately, there is no “one size fits all” approach to creating a time-sharing schedule. Parents have the freedom to determine whatever arrangement works best with the child custody arrangement and their schedules.
Essentially, the schedule must include how each child will spend their weekdays, weekends, holidays, vacations, and special occasions, such as birthdays and graduations. Additionally, there must be provisions about how and where the child will be exchanged from one parent to the other, including who will provide transportation, what the child should bring with them, and the consequences if a parent arrives late or is absent.
The following are several examples of time-sharing schedules in Florida:
50/50 Schedules
This is generally for parents who share equal time with their child, which means the child lives with both parents (although one parent may still be considered as the “noncustodial parent”). The “alternating weeks schedule” means the child will spend one week with one parent and the next week with the other parent. The “2-2-3" schedule means one parent has the child for two days of the week, then the other parent will spend the next two days with the child, and finally, the first parent will have the child for the remaining three days (the next week the schedule switches). The “3-4-4-3" schedule means one parent will have the child for three days, then the other parent will have the child for four days (the next week the schedule switches).
60/40 Schedules
The child will spend 60 percent of their time with one parent and 40 percent of their time with the other. The “4-3” schedule means the parent with 60 percent custody will spend four nights of the week with the child, while the other parent will have the child for three nights. The “every extended weekend” schedule means the parent with 60 percent custody has the child during the week, while the other parent has the child for a long weekend.
70/30 schedules
The child will spend 70 percent of their time with one parent and 40 percent of their time with the other. The “5-2” schedule means the custodial parent will have the child for five days and the other parent will have the child for two days. The “every third week” schedule means the child will live with the custodial parent for two weeks, while the other parent will have the child for one week.
80/20 Schedules
The child will spend 80 percent of their time with one parent and 20 percent of their time with the other. The “alternating weekends” schedule means the noncustodial parent will spend time with the child every other weekend. The “first, third, and fifth weekends” schedule means the noncustodial parent will spend time with the child on the first, third, and fifth weekends of each month. Then there is the “second, fourth, and fifth weekends” schedule.
90/10 Schedules
The child will spend 90 percent of their time with one parent and 10 percent of their time with the other. The most common type of schedule for this arrangement is the “daytime visit” schedule, where the noncustodial parent can only spend time with the child during the day.
If you are interested in establishing or modifying a visitation schedule in Altamonte Springs or within Central Florida, contact the Law Office of Russell S. Hershkowitz, L.L.C. today at (407) 753-4111 for a free initial consultation. Providing clients with compassionate and personalized legal services for more than 25 years!