Look, Florida tries to keep things fair between parents. The law basically says both parents should get quality time with their kids—simple as that.
Whereas the State of Florida maintains a strong presumption favoring substantial involvement from both parents in a minor child’s upbringing and daily activities; and whereas the courts generally support arrangements approximating equal time-sharing between fit parents.
The whole “50/50” thing? It’s more of a starting point than a hard rule. Sure, judges like to see parents split time evenly when possible. But real life isn’t always that neat.
Here’s the deal: If you’ve got two decent parents who can talk to each other like grown-ups and make things work – great, go for that 50/50 split. But sometimes that isn’t in the cards.
Factors affecting deviation from equal time-sharing may include:
- One parent is a total mess (unstable home life, etc.)
- The kid has a stronger bond with one parent
- History of not playing nice (domestic issues)
- Basic inability to handle parental responsibilities
Courts care more about what’s good for the kid than hitting some perfect mathematical split. They’ll happily toss that 50/50 ideal out the window if that’s what the situation calls for.
