Child Custody and Visitation – in General

Florida child visitation law provides for open and liberal contact with both parents. The parent with custody cannot deny visitation with your child. Visitation law gives the non custodial parent an enforceable right to contact with his or her child.

Traditional or Normal Visitation Schedule

The following is a commonly used child visitation schedule for the secondary residential parent. Although this visitation pattern with children is still common, and has been traditionally used by the courts – child visitation laws are now much more flexible. This schedule for visitation is only a beginning point in designing parenting time with your children. Weekend Child Visitation Schedule

Every other weekend, from 6:00 p.m. on Friday until 6:00 p.m. Sunday.6:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. on the Monday following the non-visitation weekend. 3. Three (3) uninterrupted weeks during the summer to start no sooner than one full week after the last day of school and to end no later than one full week before the first day of school. The non-residential-parent will designate his or her choice for the three (3) week summer visitation no later than April 15 of any given year.

Holiday Visitation with Children

A. Christmas: The parents will alternate, on a yearly basis, as follows: From 6:00 p.m. on the last day of the school year until 4:00 p.m. on Christmas Day and from 4:00 p.m. on Christmas Day until 6:00 p.m. on January 1.

Jewish and other non-Christian families will follow this schedule as it is designed to effectively split the Christmas school holiday period. B. Thanksgiving: The parents will alternate, on a yearly basis, as follows: From 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Thanksgiving Eve until 6:00 p.m. on the Sunday following Thanksgiving.

If Thanksgiving falls on the non-residential-parents regular visitation weekend, he, or she, will enjoy the additional two days and nights of visitation. If Thanksgiving should fall on a weekend wherein it is the non-residential-parents visitation weekend, but it is the residential-parents turn for having the child or children for Thanksgiving, then and in that even, the non-residential parent will have his or her regular visitation the following weekend.

The parents will alternate, on a yearly basis, as follows: From 6:00 p.m. on the Thursday before Easter until 6:00 p.m. Easter day.

Any conflicts between regularly scheduled weekend visitation and alternate yearly Easter visitation will be handled the same manner in which the Thanksgiving alternate yearly visitation is handled (See: sub paragraph B. above).

Jewish and non-Christian religious holidays and festivals: The parents will alternate, on a yearly basis, these occasions, keeping in mind the custody, beliefs, and practices of their faith and the right of the child or children to maintain, without interruption, the said customs, beliefs and practices of their faith.

Visitation on Birthdays and Special Occasions

D. Spring Break: The parents will alternate, on a yearly basis, as follows: From 6:00 p.m. of the first full day of Spring Break until 6:00 p.m. the evening before the last full day of Spring Break (i.e. if school starts back on a Monday, the child or children would be returned at 6:00 p.m. on the preceding Saturday.) Any conflicts between regularly scheduled weekend visitation and alternate yearly Spring Break will be handled the same manner in which the Thanksgiving alternate yearly visitation is handled (see sub paragraph B. above).

E. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day: Each parent shall have the child or children with her or him from 6:00 p.m. the evening before this day until 6:00 p.m. on this day, matter what the visitation schedule would otherwise be. There will be no make up day for the non-residential parent should his or her weekend visitation be cut short as a result of the Mother’s Day/Father’s Day entitlement.

The non-residential parent shall be expected to maintain any regularly scheduled important events while exercising visitation (i.e. religious observances, team sports, music instruction, etc.).

6. The visiting parent shall also maintain, without fail any and all medical prescription dosages and/or medical therapy as may be prescribed for the child or children.

7.Finally, the visiting parent shall advise the primary residential parent as to the whereabouts of the child or children during any visitation period; especially vacations or trips out of the immediate area are planned.