Florida courts begin with a preference for shared parental responsibility, the arrangement in which both parents participate in major decisions affecting the child's education, healthcare, extracurricular activities, and religious upbringing. Sole parental responsibility, where one parent holds final decision-making authority, requires a showing that shared responsibility would be detrimental to the child. That is a higher legal bar than many parents expect.
Shared parental responsibility does not mean equal time-sharing. Those are separate determinations. A parent can have significant daily parenting time while the other retains final decision-making authority, or vice versa, depending on what the evidence supports. Brodzki Jacobs helps Kissimmee parents understand which arrangement their circumstances support and how to frame their position for the court accurately. Contact the firm to discuss which outcome is realistic in your case.
