Kissimmee Child Custody Lawyer Serving Osceola County

For parents in Kissimmee, determining how to share their time with their children can be one of the most stressful things they will ever experience. A child custody case can impact even the most routine and daily parts of life for you and your children, including where your children sleep, spend the majority of their time, go to school, and spend holidays. Given the importance of these decisions to each parent, child custody cases tend to be the most contentious family cases in Kissimmee. Here at My Florida Family Attorney, Adams & Luka, P.A., our compassionate and knowledgeable child custody attorneys understand just how critical these decisions are to you and your children and will be there to fight for you every step of the way.

If you are involved in a child custody dispute, you likely have many questions. Some of the most common questions our Kissimmee child custody attorneys hear from parents like you include what your rights are, whether getting full custody is an option, does the other parent’s poor treatment of you and the children and lack of cooperation matter to the court, and how will the court reach a decision on the issue of custody. Under Florida law, the court must start with the presumption that it is best for the children to have continued contact and maintain a parent-child relationship with both of their parents. The court will try to ensure parents can share the responsibilities and joys of raising children equally between them. For some families, this presumption works well, and the children do best when both parents continue to be fully involved in their day-to-day lives. In other cases, one parent may not be capable of caring for the children or may even expose the children to abusive or neglectful behavior. Overcoming the presumption that the parents should get equal time-sharing and responsibility can be a difficult legal burden to meet. For Kissimmee parents involved in a custody dispute, consulting with an experienced and aggressive child custody attorney may be necessary to get the outcome their children need.

Traditionally, courts in Florida started with the presumption that full custody with the mother was in the best interest of the children, with fathers usually having only visitation. Florida laws have since changed, and child custody determinations are now based on the best interest of the child, with neither parent receiving a presumption in their favor based on their gender alone. Unfortunately, the misconception that mothers will receive preferential treatment tends to leave women ill prepared to present their strongest case in the courtroom and leads men to hesitate in fighting for custody rights at all. Here at My Florida Family Attorney, Adams & Luka, P.A., our child custody attorneys can help you put your best case forward on grounds the court will actually consider to help you get the best results possible for you and your children.

In every case in Kissimmee, the court will apply the best interest of the child standard to decide custody. The best interest of the child encompasses many different factors laid out in Florida statutes that the court will look at to reach a determination on custody arrangements. These factors include:

• The child’s developmental level and any special needs the child may have
• Any physical or mental health conditions the parents may have that impact their ability to care for children
• Whether the parents engage in or have a history of domestic violence, substance abuse, child abuse, or child neglect
• Each parent’s moral fitness
• The parents’ ability to cooperate and co-parent with each other
• Each parent’s ability to comply with a court-ordered time-sharing schedule and their ability to be reasonable when dealing with changes that may be necessary
• The geographic viability of the time-sharing schedule, including distance between the parents’ homes, location of the child’s school, and the amount of time the children will need to spend traveling
• Each parent’s willingness and ability to be involved in the child’s school activities, education, and social activities
• Whether each parent is able to put the child’s needs ahead of their own desires
• Whether either parent engages in inappropriate questioning of the child about the other parent, makes disparaging comments about the other parent in the presence of the child, or discusses the ongoing litigation with the child
• Any other factor the court finds relevant

When considering the factors above, the court will look at each parent’s actions both before and during the current child custody case. Unfortunately, cooperating with your child’s other parent is not always easy. Hiring a dedicated child custody attorney to help you navigate this difficult time from the very beginning can help ensure you are making the right decisions that are in the best interest for you and your children. Our Kissimmee child custody attorneys will use their knowledge and skills to develop a plan to help you co-parent effectively as much as possible. If reaching an agreement with the other parent is not possible in your situation, our child custody attorneys have the trial experience necessary to fight for what you and your children deserve.

Here at My Florida Family Attorney, Adams & Luka, P.A., our Kissimmee child custody attorneys have experience working with families dealing with custody issues in all types of circumstances, including divorces, parents who are not married, same-sex couples, military families, long-distance parenting plans, families with young children and infants, families with teenage children, children with special needs, and everything in between. We bring our years of experience and expertise to the fight to help you resolve your own custody dispute in a way that is best for you and your children. Our child custody attorneys are available 24/7 for your free consultation at 407-872-0303 or 352-357-4084.