Florida law does not use the word "custody" — it uses time-sharing to describe how children divide their time between parents after a divorce or paternity case. If you have heard the term custody in connection with your Florida divorce, it most likely refers to what Florida officially calls time-sharing.

Time-sharing is the schedule that determines when the child spends time with each parent. It is established in a parenting plan and approved by the court. Time-sharing replaces what many states call physical custody.

Florida courts presume that both parents should have time-sharing with their children unless a judge determines that this would be harmful to the child.

Shared parental responsibility — not "custody" — is how Florida describes decision-making authority over a child's life, such as decisions about education, healthcare, and activities. This is equivalent to what other states call legal custody.

Florida courts presume that both parents share parental responsibility unless it is shown to be detrimental to the child.

Florida courts and attorneys use Florida's statutory terminology. When reviewing your parenting plan, court orders, or your parenting course content, you will see time-sharing and shared parental responsibility rather than custody.

The Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course uses this correct Florida terminology and will help you understand how time-sharing and shared parental responsibility work in practice.

My divorce papers say "time-sharing" but I thought it was called custody. Are they the same thing? Functionally, yes — time-sharing in Florida is equivalent to what most people mean by physical custody. Florida simply uses different terminology under its statutes.

What is a parenting plan? A parenting plan is the court-approved document that establishes the time-sharing schedule and specifies how the parents will share parental responsibility. The Florida Parent Education and Family Stabilization Course covers parenting plans in detail.

Does taking the Florida parenting course affect my time-sharing arrangement? Completing the course is a legal requirement. Failure to complete it can result in denial of time-sharing. Completing it on time shows the court you are engaged in the process.