How Florida Courts Handle Disagreements Over A Child’s Extracurricular Activities
Decision-making is necessary for divorced co-parents to undertake together. Most co-parents create plans that include decisions on important matters like education, medical care, and visitation rights. However, when differences start to happen between co-parents, they usually stem from their views on what extracurricular activities their child should do. This could range from participation in competitive sports or dance to music education and even traveling teams. Florida law has a way of handling such cases.
Shared parental responsibility requires cooperation
Florida courts tend to prefer sharing parental responsibilities, which basically means both parents are still involved in decision-making regarding the child’s well-being. While these extracurricular activities may not carry much weight compared to decisions related to the child’s health or education, they could influence the child’s life immensely.
While one parent thinks that year-round travel baseball league programs are a great opportunity for the child, the other parent may think it disrupts time spent with family or creates additional expenses.
What if the parents cannot agree
The parenting plan should be the first place to start. Some parenting plans deal directly with extracurricular activities by specifying the process for selecting new activities and dividing costs. Also, such parenting plans often state that both parents should agree on enrolling their children in extracurricular activities.
If there is no agreement in the parenting plan, then the first thing parents should try is negotiation or mediation. It is always preferable to try negotiating instead of going to court because Florida courts prefer you do so.
It is always possible for either parent to take the matter to court when an agreement is impossible. The judge will look at the situation individually, without automatically supporting any parent.
The child’s best interests come first
Like all parental issues, the court will focus first and foremost on the child’s best interests. The judge may look into several different considerations, including:
- The age of the child, the child’s interest, and the level of dedication of the child
- If it will interfere with the current timesharing arrangement
- The expense involved in such an activity and each parent’s capacity to pay for it
- The educational value and development of the child
- One parent trying to take advantage of the activity to prevent the other from spending quality time with the child
Preventing future disputes
Many extracurricular disputes may be prevented by drafting a well-defined parenting plan. The parents might decide on a budget limit, develop strategies for registering the child in extracurricular activities, or agree on how transportation will be managed. It will decrease future disputes by making things clear from the start.
If something changes as the child gets older, the parents may decide to update the parenting arrangement.
Talk to a Tampa, FL, Child Custody Attorney Today
Faulkner Law Group, PLLC, represents the interests of Tampa parents who need to draft a parenting plan for their children. Call our Tampa family lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin addressing your concerns right away.
