Child Exchanges at Neutral Locations Thanks to Florida Law

Divorces can be pretty messy. While some are amicable, some are filled with anger and contention because of issues such as threats and physical harm.

When these issues are prevalent in a marriage, it can be hard to escape them even after a divorce or the end of a relationship, especially if there are minor children. A person will still have contact with the parent of their child once the divorce is finalized.

A new bill in Florida could help in this regard. It would allow courts to require parents who share custody of children to make timesharing exchanges at “neutral safe exchange” locations. The bill would require law enforcement to designate at least one parking lot at a sheriff’s office or substation as a safe exchange location.

The bill is called the Cassi Carli Law. It is named after a Florida mother who went to meet the father of her child to make a timeshare exchange at the last minute. The two parents met in a restaurant parking lot to exchange the child. Carli disappeared after she was kidnapped by the child’s father. She was later found dead in Alabama.

The Senate voted 37-1 in February to approve the bill (HB 385). It unanimously passed the House in January and is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis for approval.

Under the law, courts could order child exchanges at the neutral locations if there is a risk or an imminent threat of harm to a parent or child during the exchange. A parent seeking a domestic violence injunction against the other parent can request to use the safe exchange location. The locations would have to meet various requirements, such as providing adequate lighting and video surveillance and being accessible 24 hours a day.

Only one person disapproved of the bill. It was Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat from Boca Raton. She said she was concerned about how the courts would interpret the bill. She felt that if there was an imminent threat of harm, there should not be an exchange at all. Or there should be a supervised exchange, but doing it in a neutral location did not seem like enough.

The law gives courts dome discretion when it comes to court-ordered parenting plans. The court is allowed to take all the factors into consideration.

Seek Legal Help

Child custody is often a contentious issue in a divorce and it can be a safety concern as well. Many couples divorce due to domestic violence and other concerns of physical harm.

If you are getting a divorce, make sure to stay safe. Seek legal help from a Fort Lauderdale child custody lawyer Edward J. Jennings, P.A. can help you deal with all the processes involved so you can divorce as quickly and easily as possible.To schedule a consultation, fill out the online form or call 954-764-4330.

Source:

news.wfsu.org/state-news/2024-02-22/the-florida-legislature-has-passed-a-bill-to-protect-parents-who-share-child-custody