What can you do to make a child custody swap easier?

On behalf of Furr & Cohen, P.A. posted in Child Custody on Friday, October 23, 2015.

A child custody swap—or an exchange, as it is often called—just means that one parent takes custody away from the other parent for a set amount of time, in accordance with the parenting plan and the child custody agreement. The swap then happens in the other direction when the child is returned.

For example, a father may have a right to see his child every other weekend. Every other Friday, he can show up after work, and custody rights are given over to him. He then gives them back on Sunday, when he drops the child off.

This is a fairly simple process that happens all over Florida, thousands of times every month. However, there are complications that can arise, especially since this can be an emotional time. To make it easier, parents should:

— Always be on time.– Refrain from arguing in front of the children.– Only talk to the child and the ex, if possible; sometimes, emotional situations turn dangerous if there is a new partner living at the house.– Stick to the agreed-upon schedule.– Never push, insult or in any way abuse the child.– Never give the child any dangerous items; this has been done before in an effort to frame the other parent, though it did not work.– Be calm, kind and respectful.

It can be harder than you think. You may be angry every time you have to bring the child back, wishing you had more time. It’s important, though, to understand the legal process and what you can do about this, rather than letting emotions take hold in the heat of the moment.

Source: FindLaw, “Child Custody Exchange,” accessed Oct. 23, 2015