Sarasota Parenting Plan Lawyers

Changing parenting plans are available to meet your changing needs.

The parenting plan (custody division) in a divorce or other family law matter must reflect the best interests of the child. To define this nebulous concept, most courts look to the child’s needs, the current formal or informal arrangement, the parents’ preferences, and other factors. A parent’s disability, such as a severe drug or alcohol problem, is probably the biggest deal-breaker factor. Likewise, the onset or removal of disability may be the most frequent basis for a motion to modify the parenting plan.

The compassionate Sarasota parenting plan lawyers at Carman & Finegan, P.A. understand the special financial, emotional, and other challenges that non-traditional families face. Many of the members of our professional team are in the same situation. This compassion motivated us to work extra hard to craft a parenting plan that meets legal qualifications and is tailor-made to address your family’s needs. Generally, a good parent plan is the key to a good co-parenting relationship, an environment that benefits everyone.

The Traditional Parenting Plan

Every other weekend and every other holiday parenting plan, the stalwart of joint custody parenting plans, is still the go-to arrangement under today’s co-parenting law. This arrangement is familiar, predictable, and fair.

Familiarity and predictability are important for young children. Whether they admit it or not, young children need highly structured schedules. If parents fail to provide this structure, many young children believe their parents do not care about them. Most children and most adults are like our Sarasota parenting plan lawyers. They know families who divorced under the old co-parenting law, and they anticipate a traditional parenting plan.

Furthermore, especially when supplemented with electronic communication, like FaceTime, the traditional model is fair. That is especially true if a Sarasota family law attorney tweaks the parenting plan a bit. Small changes, like transforming the midweek two-hour visitation into an overnight one, make a big difference over time.

The traditional parenting plan is also a good fallback option if the parents cannot agree on key child custody points. Traditional plans almost always pass judicial muster.

Nontraditional Alternatives

American families have changed significantly since California lawmakers adopted the first joint custody law in the 1970s. However, parenting plans have not changed much until recently. Now, several nontraditional yet effective arrangements are available.

Block scheduling might be the best one. In most cases, the child spends two weeks with parent A, and two weeks with parent B, and the cycle repeats throughout the year. Some minor changes may occur during major holidays, like Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Block scheduling checks the aforementioned predictability and fairness boxes. Additionally, block scheduling has fewer moving parts, making pickups and drop-offs less of a chore.

Other nontraditional parenting plan alternatives include empty nest and extended weekends. Empty nest arrangements do away with pickup and drop-off altogether. The parents swap dwellings while the children stay put. Extended weekend (weekend visitation starts on Thursday and ends on Monday) is a good choice for parents who want a more even timeshare plan but are not willing to break the mold entirely.

Reach Out to a Sarasota County Family Law Attorney

Divorce and other family law matters involve emotional and financial issues. For a confidential consultation with an experienced family law attorney in Sarasota, contact Carman & Finegan, P.A. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start working for you.