The Florida Senate approved a new timesharing bill on March 8, 2016. A portion of the bill deals with changes to the alimony statute and the other portion changes the current timesharing statute. If passed, the bill would modify Florida Statute 61.13(2)(c)(1) by instructing courts that are establishing an initial parenting plan to start with equal time with the child(ren) for each parent. The court would then use the factors currently outlined in section 3 of the statute to determine whether deviation from a 50/50 schedule is in the best interests of the child(ren).
If the parents are unable to reach an agreement regarding a parenting plan for the child(ren), and one parent asks for a timesharing schedule that is not approximately equal, the court must consider the factors and make detailed written findings before entering a schedule that is not approximately equal.
If the bill is passed, it will take effect on October 1, 2016.