Florida Custody (Parenting) Plan

Florida law requires the parents of all cases involving the custody of a minor child to establish a parenting plan for the court to review. One of the following court-approved parenting plan forms must be used to develop the plan:

• Parenting Plan (Form 12.995(a)) – For general cases
• Supervised/Safety-Focused Parenting Plan (Form 12.995(b)) – For cases involving supervised custody
• Relocation/Long Distance Parenting Plan (Form 12.995(c)) – For cases involving the relocation of one or more parents

The amount of child support each parent must pay is determined by state’s child support guidelines.^[1] Factors include each parent’s monthly income, the number of children, childcare expenses, and more. If the child is still considered a “dependent” upon reaching the age of 18, the amount of support for the dependent child will be governed by the state’s guidelines.^[2]

The form should be typed or printed in black ink. Once completed, the form should be signed by both parties in the presence of a notary public or a deputy clerk. It can be filed electronically using the Florida Courts E-File Portal or with the circuit court clerk in the county where the petition was filed.

If both parents agree on all the terms within a parenting plan that the court approves, the hearings will likely move quickly. However, if the parents cannot reach an agreement or the court does not accept the submitted parenting plan, the court will establish a parenting Plan that it determines is best suited to the child’s interest. The judge may request a parenting plan recommendation or appoint a guardian ad litem—or a neutral party—to hear the parents’ issues and report back to the court.

The court will issue an order that either approves the submitted custody terms or establishes a new parenting plan at its own discretion. Once issued, the order will be legally binding for both parents.