Clearwater Child Visitation Lawyers

Courtroom-Tested Advocacy for Pinellas County Time-Sharing Disputes

When a parent’s time with their children is at risk, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Florida law uses the term “time-sharing” to describe what most parents know as visitation, and the schedule a court approves can shape your relationship with your children for years. At The Law Office Of Yeazell And Sweet, we’ve spent over 40 years representing parents in Clearwater and throughout Pinellas County, and we know the Sixth Judicial Circuit Family Law Division’s judges and procedures from the inside out.

Florida public policy holds that frequent and continuing contact with both parents serves a child’s best interests after divorce or separation. Under a 2023 amendment to Florida Statute 61.13, courts begin with a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing is in the best interests of the minor child, a presumption either parent can challenge by a preponderance of the evidence. That said, circumstances do arise where one parent’s rights may be restricted. A history of absence, substance abuse, domestic violence, or conduct that places a child’s safety at risk can all limit or eliminate a parent’s time-sharing. Whether you’re seeking fair access or working to protect your child from a genuinely harmful situation, our Clearwater visitation attorneys are prepared to advocate for you.

Pinellas County family law matters, including parental responsibility and time-sharing, are handled by the Sixth Judicial Circuit’s Family Law Division at the Pinellas County Justice Center in Clearwater. If you’re facing a time-sharing dispute, we offer a complimentary consultation and can be reached outside standard business hours when the situation demands it.

Call us today at (813) 285-5705 to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Building a Parenting Plan That Works in the Real World

A Florida parenting plan does more than set a calendar. It governs how two parents share the responsibilities of raising a child, often across two households with different schedules, schools, and routines. We work with clients to develop time-sharing proposals that reflect their actual lives, not a standard template.

We help you think through every layer of the arrangement: weekday and weekend schedules, holiday and vacation time-sharing, transportation logistics, communication protocols between households, and how decisions about education, extracurricular activities, and medical care will be made. We put more hours into preparing your case than we bill because the details established now can shape what a judge approves and what you live with afterward.

When circumstances change after an order is in place, the work isn’t over. If a co-parent isn’t following a court-ordered schedule, Pinellas County courts can require make-up time, order counseling, or modify the arrangement. If you need a modification, Florida Statute 61.13 requires showing a substantial and material change in circumstances along with a determination that the modification serves the child’s best interests. Our child visitation lawyers in Clearwater handle both enforcement and modification proceedings.

What a Pinellas County Judge Weighs Under Florida Statute 61.13

Florida Statute 61.13 sets out the factors courts must weigh when determining a child’s best interests. Understanding these factors before you walk into the courtroom matters. The more precisely you can demonstrate your child’s needs and your role in meeting them, the stronger your position can be.

Factors the court considers when establishing or reviewing a time-sharing schedule include:

• The geographic viability of the parenting plan, including the distance between each parent’s home and the time required to travel between them
• The home, school, and community record of the child
• Each parent’s demonstrated capacity to participate in the child’s education and extracurricular activities
• The likelihood that each parent will honor a court-ordered time-sharing schedule
• Each parent’s ability to prioritize the child’s needs over their own
• Each parent’s willingness to foster a continuing relationship between the child and the other parent
• Each parent’s capacity to protect the child from the litigation, including refraining from disparaging comments about the other parent
• The child’s own preferences, under appropriate circumstances

Pinellas County judges generally seek arrangements that keep both parents meaningfully involved unless a documented safety or welfare concern justifies otherwise. We prepare clients to address every factor on this list because a thorough record can make a difference before a judge.