Jacksonville Divorce Lawyer Blog
Written By: Lenorae C. Atter, Attorney
Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A.
In a Florida divorce or paternity case establishing a parenting and time-sharing are vital in dealing with visitation issues. However, if you live out-of-state during the divorce or paternity case, then the time-sharing plan may depend on your situation. For example, if you are in a paternity case and just found out that you have a child, then a judge may not require the child to simply get on a plane for you to see your child. What may happen is that you transition into a time-sharing plan where the child eventually will visit you at your home. In the meantime, you may be required to come to Florida to establish a relationship with the child so that the time-sharing can then be scheduled at your own home. If you already have a relationship established with the children, then other factors will be how far you live; transportation abilities; school schedules; etc. The Judge will look at these factors to help establish the best time-sharing schedule for all parties, including the child.
If you are in Jacksonville, Florida, then you may be asked if you are interested in what were previously 4th Judicial Circuit Long Distance Guidelines. They basically separate out holidays, summer vacation and three day weekends so that the long distance visits are lucrative for the parent and child to share bonding time.
You should speak with a family law attorney if you are going through a divorce or paternity case to best understand your rights.