As of July 1, 2023, Florida law is equal timesharing. This means that unless you can show a substantial reason why equal timesharing with one parent would be detrimental to your child or is not at all feasible in your family’s situation, you and the other parent will both be entitled to equal timesharing with your child. Since the passing of the 2023 law, and in many cases even before that, it is extremely difficult to defeat a claim for equal timesharing by one parent without a really good showing that your child would be harmed by such a schedule, or that one parent absolutely does not have the schedule and means to exercise that time. The most common type of equal timesharing schedule is where parents alternate weeks, usually exchanging on Fridays after school or on Sunday evenings. However, regardless of what your particular timesharing schedule is, with limited exceptions, both parents will always have what Florida calls Shared Parental Responsibility; this means equal rights to make important decisions in your child’s life, such as for education and healthcare, and equal responsibility for your child. Just because you may be awarded or agree to less calendar time with your child does not mean you have any less parental rights than the other parent.
