Divorce is difficult, and timesharing children can be even more difficult. Timesharing in a divorce can be extremely contentious if parents don’t cooperate. Many potential pitfalls can lead to a parent losing rights to their children or spending time with them.
If a parent violates the court-ordered timesharing agreement, they may be held in contempt and could lose all rights to timesharing with their child(ren). For this reason, it is important for parents who are going through divorce or separation to understand common mistakes that are made when timesharing kids.
Common mistakes that could affect timesharing
It is important to educate yourself on timesharing and child custody laws in Florida, and to avoid making the following mistakes:
- Be a parenting team: Not understanding the importance of maintaining a good relationship with your ex-spouse
- Clear communication: Neglecting to communicate with your ex-spouse about important decisions, such as school district or religious affiliation. Also, failing to communicate with the other parent about what is going on in their life and how it will affect timesharing schedules (i.e., if you are planning a vacation).
- Maintain financial responsibilities: Failing to keep up with child support payments and not meeting other financial obligations
- Avoid social media: Providing too much information about the children’s activities and whereabouts on social media sites
- Safe environment: Exposing children to inappropriate content, including violence in movies, TV shows and video games; pornography; profanity; alcohol use; drug paraphernalia; unmonitored internet usage
- No cellphones: Giving your child a cellphone at too early of an age
- School attendance: Allowing your child to miss school
- Consistent bedtimes: Letting your child stay up late at night
- Don’t spoil: Providing too much money for clothes, food or entertainment
After a divorce, many parents find themselves struggling with how to divide the time they have with their children. This can lead to some common mistakes that may affect your timesharing rights as well as cause tension between you and your ex-spouse.
When there are disputes over custody of minor children or other aspects of child support, divorced parents need to know where they stand legally so they don’t end up hurting their case unknowingly. It is important to a legal counsel that is experienced in timesharing and child custody matters in Florida to make sure that your rights as a parent are protected.