AO 2018-001

Whereas, Rule 12. 750(b)(5), Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure, authorizes the Chief Judge of the Circuit to approve additional forms that are not inconsistent with forms approved by the Florida Supreme Court and published in the Family Law Rules of Procedure; and

Whereas, the undersigned Chief Judge and Family Law Administrative Judge recognize the need to replace outdated forms; and

Whereas, to facilitate the changes recently enacted in Florida Statutes, Chapter 61, the Third Judicial Circuit has elected to adopt the attached Time-sharing Guidelines. It is, therefore,

ORDERED:

1. Effective immediately, the Time-sharing Guidelines, dated January 5, 2018, as attached, is approved for use in the Third Judicial Circuit and shall be made available to litigants by all self-help programs, the Clerks of Circuit Court, and the Family Court Support Unit. The Time-sharing Guidelines replace all previous versions of the Third Circuit Timesharing Guidelines.

2. Pursuant to Administrative Order 2002-007 A, all forms presently used throughout the Circuit, which are not either Supreme Court approved forms or forms approved by the Chief Judge of the Third Circuit, shall be discarded and not used in pro se family law cases.

DONE AND ORDERED in Chambers at the Columbia County Courthouse, Lake City,

Florida, this 5^th day of January, 2018.

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TIME-SHARING GUIDELINES

The Time-Sharing Guidelines are intended to be a part of the Parenting Plan as required in Chapter 61.13(2)(b) and are not sufficient to be a stand-alone Parenting Plan. These guidelines are intended to apply to the majority of time-sharing situations. Please note any changes initialed by the Judge. Changes and additional time-sharing may take place as mutually agreed by the parties in writing or as ordered by the Court.

The parties shall have time-sharing in accordance with the schedule below:

The FATHER I MOTHER (circle one) shall have time-sharing:

1. Time-sharing (initial one only):
2. Every other weekend from Friday after school until returning the child(ren) to school on Monday. If the Friday before the weekend is a non-school day, then the time-sharing will begin Thursday after school. Likewise, if the Monday following the time-sharing period is a non-school day, then the parent will return the child(ren) to school on Tuesday.
3. Week to week – the parties shall have equal time with the child(ren) by alternating their time-sharing with the child(ren) weekly. Said time-sharing shall commence after school on Monday until returning the child(ren) to school the following Monday. The parent who is not exercising time-sharing during a given week shall be entitled to have the child(ren) for time-sharing from Wednesday after school until returning the child(ren) to school on Thursday.
4. Each Wednesday from after school until returning the child(ren) to school on Thursday.
5. Thanksgiving I Fall Break shall be split Thursday at 2:00 p.m. The first part of the break shall go the parent whose regularly scheduled weekend falls on the beginning of the break and the second part shall go to the parent whose weekend falls on the end of the break.
6. Christmas I Winter Break shall be equally divided each year – one parent shall have the child from the day the child gets out of school and shall keep the child for exactly one-half of the Christmas break, excluding Christmas day. The other parent shall have the second-half of the Christmas break and will return the child back to school. The parents shall divide Christmas day as follows: The parent with the first half of the break shall keep the child until 2:00 p.m.

with the other parent having the child from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The Father shall exercise the first half in odd years, the Mother the first half in even years.

1. Spring Break shall be split on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. The first half shall go to the parent whose regularly scheduled weekend falls on the beginning of the break and the second half shall go to the parent whose weekend falls on the end of the break.
2. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day – The Mother shall have time-sharing on Mother’s Day from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. and the Father shall have time-sharing on Father’s Day from 9:00 am. – 6:00 p.m. This schedule shall be followed even if the holiday is not that parent’s normally scheduled time-sharing period.
3. Summer Break – During the summer one of the two shall apply (initial one only):

_____ (1) The regular schedule noted in paragraph A(l) above shall apply with the exception that the Father I Mother shall have two uninterrupted weeks of time-sharing with the minor child. If the Father I Mother elects to exercise this additional time, he/she shall notify the other parent, in writing, by May IS’” of each year as to when he/she will be exercising that time.

_____ (2) the regular schedule noted in paragraph A (2) above shall apply with the exception that the exchanges shall take place at the Mother’s and Father’s homes, unless both parents agree to a different meeting place.

1. Each parent shall be entitled to reasonable telephone, or other type of electronic voice contact, with the minor child.

Approved 1/5/18     WRD /s/
Chief Judge Wesley R. Douglas