A new law could affect the way child custody cases are handled. Although the idea was made a law in another state, House Bill 492 could change the way other states, including Florida, handle custody and divorce. This law does away with primary custody and creates a new way to parent known as shared custody. There are a few ways to make such a law work for military parents.
Traditionally, when two parents divorce, the fight for primary custody is on. One parent is usually granted primary custody, while the other parent is given secondary custody or visitation rights. The primary parent usually has the kids for the majority of their time, basically acting as a single parent. The secondary parent may get the kids on weekends and some holidays.
This new law, however, divides the children’s time between both parents, giving them equal time. Both parents have the kids for the same amount of time each year — some evenings, some weekends, some summers, etc. According to the report, studies show that kids who have both parents equally tend to fare better in life. Of course, this would require some work from both parents, especially in cases where they don’t live near each other.
That’s where military parents come in. With shared parenting, the children could stay with one parent while the other is deployed and vice versa. Anyone who is facing a child custody battle in Florida would be wise to contact a family law attorney who can help them seek out the best option for their family. Whether it is shared parenting or another type of child custody, a family law attorney can present one’s case and fight for the child’s best interest.
Source: kentucky.com, “New child-custody law lets Kentucky children win with shared parenting“, Matt Hale, April 12, 2017