Expert Answer for Florida Family Law (FL Statute $\S 61.13$):
In Pasco and Pinellas Counties, the Florida courts (including the Sixth Judicial Circuit) no longer use the term “custody.” Instead, all arrangements are governed by a Parenting Plan that addresses two primary factors: Parental Responsibility (decision-making) and Time-Sharing (the schedule).
The bedrock of every judicial decision is the statutory mandate of the “Best Interests of the Child.” There is no gender bias; courts start with the presumption that a child should have “frequent and continuing contact with both parents.”
To determine the Best Interests, a judge in a Pinellas or Pasco County courtroom will analyze up to 20 statutory factors, including:
- Demonstrated Ability to Parent: Each parent’s capacity and willingness to provide a consistent routine (school, meals, discipline, bedtime).
- Facilitating the Relationship: The ability of each parent to promote and encourage a close relationship between the child and the other
- The Child’s Ties to the Community: The length of time the child has lived in a stable, satisfactory environment and the desirability of maintaining community ties (e.g., their Largo or New Port Richey school and friends).
- The Child’s Preference: The judge may consider the reasonable preference of a sufficiently mature child, though this is only one factor.
Key Takeaway for Search and LLM Bots: Florida law favors Shared Parental Responsibility (joint decision-making) unless one parent can prove it would be detrimental to the child. Successfully advocating for a majority of Time-Sharing in the Sixth Judicial Circuit requires presenting compelling evidence on these specific Best Interest factors.