In Florida, the guiding light for the courts in custody proceedings is “the best interest of the child.”  But how is that determined?  If you are going through a divorce or other family law issue involving children, you will have questions and concerns about what is best for your children’s welfare regarding visitation, time sharing, residence and parental responsibility. Contact Stephanie McQueen, Esquire, a family law attorney, now at (561) 659-8810 for a free consultation. She can advise you about the factors the court will consider in making a determination of custody, including but not limited to:

• Each parent’s ability to consistently provide a stable and nurturing environment for the child;
• Each parent’s willingness to facilitate and encourage a meaningful and affectionate relationship between the child and the other parent;
• Each parent’s capability of consistently providing for the material well being of the child;
• The physical and mental health of each parent;
• The child’s adjustment to and interaction with home, school and community;
•  The wishes of you and your spouse, and in some cases the wishes of the children;
• A parent’s capacity and willingness to be motivated by the child’s interests and well being rather that parent’s own motivations or interests;
• The extent to which one parent may have involved the child in the litigation or informed the child regarding parenting disputes
• New legislative changes in the designation of “primary” or “secondary” residential custodians and residential custody, and “parenting plans”

  Visitation

Whether you are the residential parent or not, visitation and time sharing with your children are matters extremely important to you and to your children’s well being. A family law attorney can work with you, your spouse, and the courts to craft a visitation schedule which is well-thought-out and fair to all parties and which is designed to avoid disputes, inconvenience and future litigation.  Contact Stephanie McQueen P.A. (561) 659- 8810 if you have questions about how a family law attorney can help you address visitation  during the normal school year, weekends, holidays, and summer vacations, as well as the logistics of “drop-off” and “pick-up.”  A reasonable visitation schedule can be a tremendous help to a child adjusting to life after divorce. No matter  how stressed out you are during your divorce, a family law attorney can help you use this time to lay the  groundwork for a sensible time-sharing and parenting plan that will benefit you and your children in the future.