"Time Sharing is also known as Custody" For many people spending time with their kids is a great joy. The State of Florida recognizes that both parents need to be involved with a child’s life. Often there are many misconceptions dealing with who has the “right” to see the child. You don’t have to be legally married to see your kids, however sometimes it may be in your best interest to speak to an attorney to set up a time-sharing plan.

According to Florida Statute 61.13 the answer is:

“It is the public policy of this state that each minor child has frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents separate or the marriage of the parties is dissolved and to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities, and joys, of childrearing. Unless otherwise provided in this section or agreed to by the parties, there is a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing of a minor child is in the best interests of the minor child. To rebut this presumption, a party must prove by a preponderance of the evidence that equal time-sharing is not in the best interests of the minor child.”

No Child Support Does Not Equal No Visitation The Florida Statutes are clear when it comes to a parent seeing a child regardless if one parent has not paid child support and or alimony.

Florida Statute 61.13 says:

When a parent who is ordered to pay child support or alimony fails to pay child support or alimony, the parent who should have received the child support or alimony may not refuse to honor the time-sharing schedule presently in effect between the parents.

Also, if one parent holds a child/ children as “bargaining chips” the law has remedies such as it:

May order the parent who did not provide time-sharing or did not properly exercise time-sharing under the time-sharing schedule to pay reasonable court costs and attorney’s fees incurred by the nonoffending parent to enforce the time-sharing schedule.