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In the State of Florida various factors are considered by judges when they must determine parenting plans, provisions for children, and basic decisions such as where the child will sleep. If you have an active custody case, it would be wise to become familiar with current child custody laws and factors to be considered by the judge

Child’s Record at School, Home, and the Community

A child’s report card, criminal record (if any), and pattern of behavior at home will provide clues on whether the current residence is proper. If you currently have custody, prepare a running log of the child’s activities and report cards. You must show your home is beneficial to the child’s life and future development. If there are current problems with your child’s grades, this is an opportunity to benefit your child and better your chances at getting custody. Work with your child on school assignments or look for a good after school program. If there are problems in the home, such as inadequate space, improper sleeping arrangements, lice and/or cleanliness issues, start fixing it now.

An important concept to learn is that consenting adults may do anything they want as long as the child is not affected. This includes whips, chains, videos, alcohol, parties, and alternative lifestyles. Consenting adults can do ANYTHING they want and the court will not look down on them UNLESS the child is directly affected. What does this mean? The bottom line: anything done in private between consenting adults is OK. Anything out of the ordinary done in front of children is not OK. The proposed custodial parent must be in adequate mental and physical shape to exercise parental responsibility. This does not mean the parent in best shape wins – it is only a minimum standard of being able-bodied to parent. Be aware: although this factor is the least useful to courts, both parties usually take the opportunity to throw “mud” at each other. This phase of a trial gets the ugliest and can be the most damaging to all involved.