Child Custody & Visitation

South Florida Child Custody Lawyer

Child custody can be one of the most contested issues in a Divorce or paternity situation. It can also become an issue after divorce. Pembroke Pines attorney Jerome Ventura is highly experienced in negotiating and litigating custody or timeshare issues, keeping  the best interests of your children as a guide.   He can assist you in enforcing these agreements, and in seeking changes when circumstances warrant.

While Florida law says both husband and wife have equal rights to child custody, in practice visitation rarely works out to be equal. Custody arrangements can range from:

• Shared Parental Responsibility, with an equal time-share where the child spends approximately 50 percent of the time at each household;
• Sole custody for one parent;
• Primary Residential Parent Status, when physical custody for one parent while the other parent has the child during a repeating schedule such as alternating weekends, holiday visitation, and summer visitation

When there is a dispute over child custody, the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem to serve as an investigator or evaluator of the child's best interests for the court. Attorney Jerome Ventura is certified by the Florida Supreme Court as a Guardian ad Litem. This means that Mr. Ventura is trusted by the court to make analyses and recommendations in child custody and visitation cases. This background makes him uniquely qualified to understand what issues are important to the court and to present your case in a clear and logical fashion.

Child custody can be a factor in calculating child support. The payer of child support is entitled to a reduction in the amount of support payments if he or she has the child for a substantial time, usually more than 40 percent of the overnights.

In Florida, the parent without custody can also have a provision in the child custody agreement known as "the right of first refusal."  This means that before a custodial parent can leave a child with a non-parent for an extended period of time, he or she will be required to contact the other parent and offer the child(ren) to them.

Relocation issues

A custodial parent needs court approval to move a child out of the area (more than 50 miles) if the move would affect the other parent's visitation rights. If a parent attempts to relocate without court permission, attorney Jerome Ventura can help protect your rights.

If you are afraid that your spouse may attempt to move your child to a non-Hague Convention country, you should ask the court to allow you to obtain a passport for your child and keep it in a safety deposit box that only you have access to. The other parent can't move a child outside the country without a passport.

Attorney Jerome Ventura is ready and able to litigate your child custody case or help you seek a mediated solution. For an initial limited consultation at no charge, call 954.438.2828 or complete the contact form on this web site. Evening appointments are available.