Pensacola Child Custody Attorneys

Pursuing Your Child’s Best Interest

Change can be difficult for all members of a loving family, but it can be especially hard for children. If you are involved in a child custody dispute, you owe it to your child to resolve the matter quickly and with their best interest in mind.

At The Virga Law Firm, P.A., we acknowledge this as fact and understand what you’re going through.

Our attorneys have over 100 years of collective experience and an intimate knowledge of the challenges co-parenting can present. 

Parenting Time Plans

Since 2018, Florida and its courts have addressed child custody matters under the terms “time-sharing” and “parenting time.” When a parent petitions for shared custody, or custody arrangements are decided in court, both parents will have to develop and agree upon a time-sharing schedule or parenting time plan.

Often, the court will allow one parent to have majority time-sharing status. Depending on your plan, the minority time-sharing parent may also have to pay child support.

Ultimately, the court will help both parents find a solution that is in their child’s best interest. In order to do so effectively; however, the fact finder(s) must hear from both parents.

To present yourself in the best possible light, you will need to hire a child custody attorney.

Our attorneys can help you prepare for your day in Pensacola court by developing a plan that is likely to be approved and making sure you are presented positively as a parent.

Parental Responsibility

When your family goes through a stressful divorce or separation, or even if you never married, you and your former partner may disagree on how your child will be raised.

To ensure parenting decisions are made in your child’s best interest, the Florida courts offer 3 forms of parental responsibility:

1. Shared Responsibility – This the most frequently ordered form of parental responsibility. If the court decides this is the best option, you and your child’s co-parent must meet and confer with one another for all decisions surrounding your child’s upbringing. If you cannot reach an agreement, you will have to return to court.
2. Shared Parental Responsibility with Ultimate Decision-Making Authority – This arrangement allows couples to stay out of court by letting one parent have “the final say.” Still, co-parents must meet and discuss their options before any decisions are made.
3. Sole Parental Responsibility – Although this situation is rare, the court will sometimes find it in your child’s best interest that only one parent is involved in the decision making surrounding their welfare. In this case, co-parents will not have to discuss choices that affect their child and one parent will have no say in the elections that are made.

Appealing Court Decisions

Whether it has to do with your parenting time plan or parental responsibility, you may not agree with the court’s decisions regarding your child.

If you believe the court did not act in the best interest of your son or daughter, our attorneys are here to help you appeal.

Like most other states, family court decisions can be appealed until they reach the Florida Supreme Court or adhere to one of its precedents.

If you do not agree with the family court’s preferences, you must submit your initial appeal within 30 days of the final order or judgment.

Our attorneys can help you:

• Avoid enforcement of the existing decision
• File your initial appeal
• File a “Reply Brief” if the court disagrees with your appeal
• Conduct your oral argument in appellate court
• Understand your ruling
• Request a rehearing or clarification
• File further appeals if necessary

At The Virga Law Firm, P.A., we will fight diligently on your behalf. While we treat you with compassion, we will aggressively pursue your rights as a parent.

Why Choose Our Firm

Our team at The Virga Law Firm, P.A. has a winning combination of experience, accolades, and philosophies.

We offer our services 24/7, accept same-day appointments at our Pensacola office, and have a track-record of success.

Find out what makes us different today during a phone call to 800-822-5170 – or visit our contact page, where reliable counsel is a click away. Our Pensacola family law firm is here to help.