Child Custody Attorneys in Orlando, Florida

Helping Parents Navigate Florida’s Child Custody Laws

The most contentious issue in most divorces cases or breakups is usually timesharing and parental responsibility, commonly known as “child custody.” With biological parents, same-sex couples, stepparents, or multiple-parent households it becomes even more complicated to determine what’s best for the child because they have so many adults that affect their life decisions on an everyday basis.

The Spence Law Firm’s Orlando child custody lawyers have been protecting the rights of biological, non-biological, and adoptive parents in Florida for over twenty-one years. We provide a full of range legal services for our clients including representation in custody and paternity matters. Our goal isn’t just to get clients out of their difficult situations but also to provide them with peace of mind and help them get their life back on track.

Allocation Of Parental Responsibility

The allocation of parental responsibility is commonly called “child custody.”  This term is not actually used in current Florida law, but it is commonly used.   Parental responsibility (custody) contains two primary issues:

1. Parenting time and visitation; and

2. Decision-making authority

Child Custody Will Impact Child Support

Your parenting time or timesharing plan will be the schedule that you and your child’s other parent or in some cases the court sets that is found to be in the best interests of your child.  Decision-making responsibility is the allocation of major decisions to one or both parents. For example, decisions about which doctor the child will see, which classes to take in school, or which religion the child will follow.  Parental responsibility is typically shared.  Our team of lawyers can work with you to ensure all issues are properly addressed in your parenting plan.

Child Support for High-Income Individuals

In Florida, child support is based on a specific formula that examines which parent is the primary parent, the number of overnights each parent has with the child, the net income of both parties, and other health or education-related payments that each parent makes to support the children, which includes the cost of daycare if necessary for the parent to get a job.

Our attorneys can help you understand how your choices regarding custody, visitation, and a parenting plan (and even the terms of a separation agreement) may affect your child support payments.

High-income individuals in Florida follow a slightly different formula for calculating child support.  The determination of income can be quite complex for business owners and self-employed individuals. Our attorneys pride themselves on understanding the intricacies that go into reading a tax return, not just in determining income but also regarding assets, liabilities, and other information contained in the returns.