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December 2, 2008 7:12:40 PM CST

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Fla. Law Changes Terms to Make Divorce Less Toxic

Posted Sep 1, 08 7:18 AM CDT in Crime & Courts,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Divorcing parents won't be making deals on "custody" and "visitation" in Florida in the future; a new law scrubs the terms from its legal code in a bid to reduce acrimony and give kids a better shot at continuing relationships with both parents. Starting next month, custody will be renamed “shared-parental responsibility,” and visitation becomes “time-sharing.”

The new law is aimed at combating the tendency to treat a child as "a piece of property,” says one divorce attorney. A family law attorney says the change is overdue: “Custody and visitation are destructive words and destructive concepts. Unless there's a reason for a restriction, it takes two to raise a child.”

Source Tampa Tribune

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When people today talk about getting custody of children, they don't say they prefer custody, an expert noted. "They say they're fighting for custody."   (Index Stock)
Florida is one of the first states in the nation to change the language within divorce proceedings with a goal of making them less litigious.   (Index Stock)
A new law in Florida removes the terms "custody" and "visitation" from divorce proceedings and requires parents to craft detailed plans to care for their children together despite living apart.   (Index Stock)
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