Top 5 Time Sharing Calendar Programs for Co-Parenting
www.deboradiazlaw.com

Learning how to co-parent can be challenging. To manage it well, you need to be flexible, patient, able to compromise, and you should use every type of support you can get. This is where a great co-parenting app comes in handy.

When your kid(s) are going back and forth between your ex-partner’s house and yours, organization is essential. So how can you pull this off? Co-parenting apps are there to make your life just a little easier. These are some of the highly recommended options:

1. The Family Core

This app is great, not just for co-parents but caregivers in general. It allows anyone you choose to access your kid’s schedule, so you can together more easily organize parenting time or drop-offs and pickups, doctors’ appointments, school events, etc. And it is completely customizable.

2. 2houses

This app provides a way to communicate with your ex-partner when phone, text, or email are not working. The app helps parents keep track of all activities, schedules, and exchange information concerning their kid(s), from school appointments to medical notes. 2houses also provides a messaging option, mediator access, and document storage, both for iOS and Android.

3. Cozi

This award-winning program lets you create a shared calendar, shopping and to-do lists, and meal plans. With its cool features and easy-to-use interface, Cozi is one of the best co-parenting apps available.

4. Coparently

This app offers all the tools you need to make co-parenting as simple as possible, with its color-coded custody calendars, records for shared expenses, a secure messenger, and a shared online directory for all important contact information (doctors, babysitters, friends). Coparently lets you add your kid(s) to the account so they can use it to communicate with you, but they won’t have access to other features.

5. Our Family Wizard

This app is an online tool designed specifically for co-parents. It lets parents manage all aspects of their shared parenting agreement in one space, from calendars and schedules to expenses. Our Family Wizard also provides Apple and Android users apps for communication on the go.

6. Custody X Change

This app was developed by legal professionals, and it tracks the time each parent spends with their kid(s). Custody X Change’s features include time-stamped journal entries, expenses tracking options, and communication tools designed to help co-parents uphold their custody plan.

7. Talking Parents

This smart app was designed to increase the accountability of co-parents while reducing conflict. It tracks communication between co-parents and provides features like shared calendars, communications, and documents, all stored as unchangeable records that you can access and use later if needed.

8. WeParent

The creator of WeParent, who received a Ph.D. in Psychology, used psychological research to create an app that reduces stress and conflict in divorced parents’ relationships. It helps you manage appointments and events, documents, custody schedules, expenses, and messaging. The goal is to minimize or eliminate conflicts and help parents focus on raising healthy and happy kids.

If you have questions about divorce, child support, shared parental responsibility, time-sharing/parenting time, and parenting plans, contact Debora A. Diaz Esquire at 727-846-1802 to schedule a consultation or use the Scheduling Link: https://deboradiazlawscheduling.as.me/.

At this time, all consultations are by telephone or video conferencing in order to protect our staff and clients.

Attorney Diaz practices exclusively in divorce and family law in Florida. Debora A. Diaz is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator.

Written by Debora A. Diaz, Esquire.

Best Interest Children Florida Statute 61.13
deboradiazlaw.com

In cases of marriage dissolution or petition for paternity, parents who will share time with their minor child or children are required by Florida law to have a written parenting plan. For it to be approved by the court, it must detail a plan of how the parents will share responsibilities in daily parenting tasks, health care, school-related matters, and other activities. The parenting plan should also outline the child’s time-sharing schedule and the communication methods and technologies that the parents will use to communicate with each other and the child.

However, when it comes to the negotiation and agreement of shared parental responsibility and time-sharing/parenting time in a child custody matter, decisions are not made by whichever parent or primary caregiver has spent the most time with the child. While they may feel they know the child best, a judge ultimately makes decisions in child custody disputes using the “best interests of the child” as the primary consideration if the parties are not in agreement.

What does “best interests of the child” in Florida mean? 

Florida Statute 61.13(3) provides a list of 20 factors to help determine “the best interests of the child.” The judge may consider any factor that is relevant to the individual situation. The 20 factors can be categorized under the demonstrated capacity and disposition of each parent to fulfill parenting responsibilities, the health and safety of the child, the child’s emotional and developmental needs, and the moral fitness of each parent. Here is a summary of the 20 factors:

1. Demonstrated capacity and disposition to honor the time-sharing schedule and maintain a close parent-child relationship
2. The anticipated division of parental responsibilities
3. Demonstrated capacity and disposition of each parent to act upon the needs of the child
4. Length of time the child has lived in a stable environment
5. Geographic viability of the parenting plan
6. Moral fitness of the parents
7. Mental and physical health of the parents
8. The child’s home, school, and community record
9. The child’s preference
10. Demonstrated knowledge of each parent to be informed and involved in the child’s life, including knowing the child’s friends, daily activities, and favorite things
11. Demonstrated capacity of each parent to provide a consistent routine
12. Demonstrated capacity of each parent to communicate with the other parent
13. Evidence of domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, child abandonment, or child neglect
14. Evidence that either parent has knowingly provided false information to the court
15. The extent of the parenting tasks performed by each parent
16. Demonstrated capacity of each parent to be involved in the child’s school and extracurricular activities
17. Demonstrated capacity of each parent to maintain a substance-free environment for the child
18. The capacity of each parent to protect the child from ongoing litigation
19. Demonstrated capacity of each parent to meet the child’s developmental needs
20. Any other factors relevant to the parenting plan, including the time-sharing schedule.

What Happens if Parties do not Reach Agreement? 

I must stress that if the parties cannot reach an agreement on shared parental responsibility and time-sharing ultimately, the judge will determine parenting arrangements in child custody cases based on the “best interests of the child,” giving weight to parents who have demonstrated capacity and disposition to also put the child’s best interests first.

If you need help understanding the factors that determine the “best interests of the child” and what you can do to prove your capacity and disposition, consult a divorce and family law attorney.

I have over 25 years of experience in the practice of family and marital law in the state of Florida. If you have questions about divorce, child support, shared parental responsibility, time-sharing/parenting time, and parenting plans, contact Debora A. Diaz Esquire at 727-846-1802 to schedule a consultation or use the Scheduling Link: https://deboradiazlawscheduling.as.me/.

At this time, all consultations are by telephone or remote video conferencing in order to protect our staff and clients.

Attorney Diaz practices exclusively in divorce and family law in Florida. Debora A. Diaz is also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Family Mediator

HOW DOES DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AFFECT FLORIDA DIVORCE?

Many divorces are affected by various complex issues; however, they tend to get extraordinarily complicated when domestic violence is involved. In many cases, domestic violence incidents may be recent, and sometimes they are the very cause of the divorce filing. But, even if the violence was not recent, a history of abusive and violent actions may play a significant role in the divorce proceedings in Florida.

Domestic violence is against the law in Florida, and many violent spouses face criminal charges. However, a majority of the offenders are not aware of the impact their violent actions might have on divorce determinations.
You do not have to cite or prove domestic violence in Florida to have your dissolution of marriage because the state law recognizes “no-fault” divorces. However, if you have been a victim of domestic violence, you may want to bring up the issue as part of your case. Safety is always a concern and a priority. An experienced attorney will know how and when to use evidence of domestic violence to help you in the divorce proceedings.

Domestic violence may impact the following divorce determinations:

Child Custody
Domestic violence can play a significant role in child custody and time-sharing division. In some cases, the court can decide that it is not in the child’s best interest to spend substantial time with a parent who has a history of domestic violence and abusive behavior. The judge may even award full custody to one parent and require supervised visits for the other parent if judge suspects the child might be in danger when alone with the potentially abusive parent.
If a parent has a criminal conviction for first-degree domestic violence, Florida custody law requires the court to assume the child is in danger with this parent, unless the parent shows otherwise. For these reasons, parents with a domestic violence history or convictions need to have an experienced attorney who knows how to fight for a favorable time-sharing decision. If you are a victim of domestic violence your attorney needs to know this.

Property Division
When it comes to property division, Florida law favors an equitable division of all assets and debts. However, it doesn’t mean property division has to be equal – the court can distribute property in a manner they find fair and just. The law requires courts to consider a fair number of specific factors in making this determination. Domestic violence may be one of the factors considered in these determinations, and it may affect the court to order property division that is favorable to the victim, at the loss of the abuser.

Spousal Support
When figuring out the amount to award for spousal support in Florida, the judges can consider a large number of factors that they find relevant to reaching an equitable solution. Even though in most cases the judges do not consider the fault grounds, abuse included, there still are some situations where domestic violence impacts this settlement indirectly.
Because it is a no-fault state for divorce, Florida laws don’t require a petitioner to cite marital misconduct when filing for a divorce. But if there is a history of domestic violence, the court may consider it when ruling on several aspects of the divorce. Domestic violence is a serious issue for spouses and children. Please seek legal counsel if domestic violence is involved in your family law issue or divorce.

Know your rights. To discuss divorce or other family law matters call Debora A. Diaz at 727-846-1802.