Ending a relationship is never easy, but it can be extremely complicated when you have children together. Divorce is often more expensive when you have minor children, and it can also take a lot longer to resolve.
To get to that point, however, the two of you have to address everything from your property to whether one of you needs alimony after the divorce. Will you also have to create your own agreement regarding time-sharing?
You have the option of setting your own time-sharing terms
You can either negotiate your own terms for time-sharing of your children or ask the court to set the terms. There are two primary kinds of divorce in Florida. When spouses need the court to rule on custody or property division because they don’t agree, they will file a contested divorce. They submit evidence to the court and allow a judge to make the major decisions in their divorce.
However, the two of you do have the option of negotiating your agreements, with the guidance of your attorneys. In an uncontested divorce filing, you can negotiate your own settlement with very specific terms that work well for your family. You can even take steps that might deviate from the standard expectations in a Florida divorce.
Although you don’t have to set your own terms for time-sharing, trying to negotiate a settlement with your spouse can give you more control over the outcome of the custody matters in your upcoming divorce. When parents can work out their own terms, it’s more likely that they’ll both adhere to them than when they’re set by a judge.