Going through a divorce is never easy. Adding your children to the equation can make it even more difficult. That’s why it’s important to keep your child’s best interests in mind when determining a parenting plan that works best for you.
At LaFrance, we always treat our clients like family during your time of need. We are here to help you understand your maternity rights and how maternity is established in Tampa, Florida.
Married vs. Unmarried maternal rights in Florida
In Florida, courts highly support the idea of shared parental responsibility. Though this is not ideal in some cases, there are family law attorneys who are specialized in helping you navigate through your rights as a mother.
Florida law states that a mother, whether married or single, has sole legal rights over the minor child from birth. This could change if the father wishes to do a paternity test to determine his rights for the child. But, in the state of Florida, the mother is given legal custody of their child automatically.
Married Mothers Rights
If a married couple decides to divorce, then the legal parents of the child will be the ones to determine custody. If the parents cannot come to an agreement, they will need to go to court to have a judge decide. Ultimately, it is important to keep the child’s best interest in mind when making these decisions. If taken to a court setting, then you must prove what type of custody would be best for your legal child.
This is where the help of child custody lawyers is beneficial to help you along the way to establish maternity.
Unmarried Mothers Rights
If parents of a child are not married, then the mother has natural custody. The father will need to establish paternity to determine custody status of the child. This can be done through court, or with the help of child custody lawyers.
Parenting plans can be in favor of one parent over the other, depending on how one fulfills their guardian responsibilities. Although it’s not legally required to have an attorney for this process, it will be a lot easier to navigate the Florida legal system if you decide to hire an experienced mother’s rights attorney.
LaFrance Law Services
The best thing you can do to protect yourself during a family law case is to work with experienced Tampa family law attorneys. Contact the lawyers at LaFrance Law to schedule an appointment.