Caring Jacksonville Child Custody Lawyers
When a child is involved in a divorce, Florida courts are only concerned about one issue: the best interests of that child. The child's best interests will be used to determine whether you and your spouse have a shared parenting arrangement or rotating custody of your children. A caring and professional lawyer can help you understand how the court will view your situation so you can be prepared.
At the Law Office of Craig Gibbs in Jacksonville, we help parents resolve child custody and support issues throughout Florida's First Coast, including military personnel at Mayport Naval Station and Jacksonville Naval Air Station (NAS-Jacks).
Florida Child Custody Guidelines
Florida favors shared parenting responsibilities unless there are strong reasons to believe that a child may be harmed by one of the parents. In that case, one of the parents would be awarded sole custody.
In a shared parenting arrangement, both parents have equal rights to make decisions regarding their child's education, religion and medical care. One parent will be named the custodial parent. The noncustodial parent will receive visitation.
If the two parents can agree to a visitation schedule, the judge will usually approve it. If the parents can't agree, judges in Clay, Duval and Nassau counties favor a set of guidelines known as the Fourth Judicial Circuit Guideline Visitation. This schedule offers visitation on alternate weekends, one evening during the week, alternate holidays, spring break and six weeks out of summer.
Florida courts rarely favor rotating, or fifty-fifty, custody arrangements because this does not provide a stable home base for the child.
Florida Child Support Guidelines
The noncustodial parent is required to pay child support to the parent with primary custody. This amount will be based on the income of both parents and the number of children they support.
To talk to an attorney about your child custody or child support case: Please call 904-236-4118 or fill out the simple contact form on this site. We are respected black law firm that provides caring representation in child custody and child support matters. We are located in the Stein Mart building on the south bank of downtown Jacksonville.
