Parental Rights Attorneys in Orlando, Florida

We’ve Helped Hundreds of Clients Successfully Navigate the Maze of Divorce and Family Law.

At The Spence Law Firm, we understand the importance and value of being able to defend and exercise your parental privileges. With over 20 years of combined experience between them, our team of experienced parental rights lawyers in Orlando have the knowledge and insight needed to help you smoothly navigate cases related to custody issues and parental privileges. No matter what precise situation brings you to our office, we’ll work closely with you to ensure that your parental interests are fairly represented and protected throughout the legal process.

Our attorneys help clients resolve legal issues related to the following topics:

• Parenting time

• Visitation

• Decision-making authority

• Child support

• Maternal rights

• Paternity and paternal privileges 

Contact us online or call to schedule a free case evaluation with our parental rights attorneys in Orlando.

Understanding Your Parental Privileges in Florida

Custodial Rights for Unmarried Parents

In Florida, custodial rights refer to those legal rights and privileges afforded to a parent who has been given sole or shared custody of a child. Florida divides custody into two primary categories. The first is parenting time, which refers to the amount of time a parent is allowed to physically spend with their child. This can include both the amount of time a child lives with one parent (residential time) and the amount of time a parent is allowed to visit the child (visitation). In most cases, parents split or share parenting time, which is called shared custody. However, judges may grant sole custody due to exceptional circumstances. 

The other type of custody is parental decision-making authority. Parents who receive this form of custody are legally empowered to make important decisions on behalf of their children, especially as it pertains to medical and educational matters, or any other topics that could affect the health, safety, and welfare of the child. Custodial parents are also obligated to financially support their children based on a shared-income model.

How to Establish Paternity in Florida 

For fathers who want to preserve and exercise their parental privileges, including their custodial privileges, it’s extremely important that they establish paternity. The most common way of doing so is by signing the birth certificate and appropriate paperwork at the time of birth. Alternatively, fathers can submit to a biological or DNA test. 

Paternity establishes legal rights and obligations for the father, including certain financial obligations related to child support enforcement and debt collection for unpaid medical expenses incurred on behalf of the child. In addition, proven paternity is essential for acquiring visitation and decision-making authority. Mothers can petition the court to order paternity DNA testing, which is especially common in cases related to child support or in situations where the mother wishes to access the father’s medical records.

Let Us Help You Protect Your Parental Privileges

When you choose to work with The Spence Law Firm, our priority becomes protecting your parental privileges and the wellbeing of your child. Whether you are dealing with a contested divorce, custody dispute, or paternity issue, our parental rights attorneys are committed to helping you work toward an optimal resolution to your case that is amicable for everyone involved. We make every effort to provide accurate, honest, and compassionate advice on these difficult topics. Based in Orlando, we offer parental privilege services to residents of Orange, Osceola, Lake, and Seminolecounties. 

Call us to discuss your situation with our Orlando parental rights lawyers.