Homeschooling and the Perils of Shared Parental Responsibility

More and more kids in Florida are being homeschooled, with over 75,000 currently doing it. Florida is known as a good place for homeschooling. Families have options for homeschooling that are recognized by the law. Homeschooling is a big lifestyle change for parents and kids. When parents who homeschool get divorced, it can be hard to keep homeschooling. Lawyers who help parents in these situations need to understand the issues that come up with homeschooling and how it can affect custody battles. Shared parental responsibility means that both parents have the right to make important decisions for their children, even after they are no longer together. This can make things complicated, especially when it comes to homeschooling. Florida law encourages parents to work together and make decisions in the best interest of their children, but sometimes they can’t agree, which can cause problems. In a classic homeschooling setup, one parent is in charge of teaching and taking care of the kids during the day. But if the parents break up, the parent who isn’t homeschooling may feel left out and worry that the other parent is getting too close to the kids. This can cause big problems and make it hard to decide what’s best for the kids’ education. When parents are divorced, it can be hard for them to make decisions together about their child’s education. This can be a problem if one parent wants to homeschool the child. One option is for one parent to have all the decision-making power, but this is usually hard to get. Florida law prefers for both parents to share this responsibility, unless it would hurt the child. This means it’s unlikely for one parent to get all the power over homeschooling. The best way to make decisions about homeschooling is for both parents to talk and come to an agreement, but this can be difficult when parents have a strained relationship. If a parent wants to homeschool their kids, they may have a hard time getting full control over their education without a court agreement. It’s better for kids when both parents are involved, even if they’re not together. A good option is to negotiate a plan that gives the homeschooling parent final say on education decisions. This keeps shared responsibility but protects homeschooling. The plan should also make sure the kids have time with both parents. This way, it’s harder for the other parent to change things later on. It might mean giving in on other issues to make this happen. If parents disagree about homeschooling, they can ask the court to give one parent the final say. However, this can be risky as the court may give all control to the non-homeschooling parent. It’s safer to agree to shared responsibility but include a clear statement about homeschooling in the parenting plan. This will protect the right to homeschool in the future. If the plan implies that the children will go to a traditional school, it will be harder to change later. Timing is important when it comes to homeschooling and parental relationships. If parents have been homeschooling their children for a long time before they split up, the court is more likely to support continued homeschooling. But if one parent decides to homeschool after the relationship has ended, it could cause problems with the parenting plan. So, it’s best to have a history of homeschooling before a breakup to make things easier in court. In Florida, parents who are divorced or separated have to make important decisions about their child’s education together. If one parent wants to homeschool the child, it’s best to start homeschooling before the parents split up and to get the other parent’s agreement. If there’s a disagreement later on, the quality of the homeschooling program will be a big factor in the court’s decision. So it’s important to provide a good education and make sure the child has opportunities to socialize with other kids. It’s also important to avoid fighting with the other parent about the homeschooling. If you want to keep homeschooling, you have to follow the rules and make sure your kids are getting a good education. You might need to show evidence that homeschooling is just as good, or even better, than regular school. This could mean getting an expert to help explain why homeschooling works well. If someone tries to say homeschooling is not good for your kids, you need to be ready to fight back with your own evidence. And if you can show that your homeschooling program is legal and effective, you have a good chance of being able to keep doing it. Many people think homeschoolers don’t have enough social interaction, but studies show they are actually well-socialized. In a court case, a judge ordered kids to go to public school based on the idea that they need more socialization. But experts say homeschooled kids are often better at socializing and adapting to society. Extreme cases should not shape the way people think about homeschooling. Homeschooling parents need to make sure their kids have enough social interaction to avoid problems in family court. In one case, a dad was allowed to homeschool his kids because they had enough outside activities. But in another case, a judge wouldn’t let either parent homeschool their young child because of concerns about socialization. Religious homeschoolers may face even more bias, as a Christian mom found out when a judge sent her child back to public school because of her faith. Parents who want to keep homeschooling after a separation should make sure their kids are involved in extracurricular activities and be ready to defend their religious rights. It might also be helpful to have an expert testify in court. In some cases, parents who separate may want to continue homeschooling their kids. However, they need to make sure that this doesn’t cause more problems between the parents. If there’s a lot of conflict, a court might not allow homeschooling because it could hurt the other parent’s rights.

In Florida, the law focuses on making sure both parents have a good relationship with their kids, even after they separate. So if parents want to homeschool after a breakup, they have to show that it won’t get in the way of the other parent being involved in their kids’ education.

Overall, if parents want to homeschool after splitting up, they need to make sure it’s best for the kids and doesn’t harm the other parent’s rights. In Florida, parents have three options for homeschooling their children: traditional home education, operating as a private school, or using a private tutor with a valid teaching certificate. The legal right of parents to homeschool has been recognized for a long time, and in Florida, the best interests of the child are the most important factor in making decisions about parenting and time-sharing. In the past, courts usually preferred mothers to have custody of their children, but that changed in the 1970s. Even though there was a law in 1997 that seemed to favor unwed mothers, the courts still placed emphasis on shared parental responsibility. In some cases, courts have adjusted alimony and imputed income to account for a mother’s homeschooling responsibilities. This is a list of court cases and their citations, along with some quotes from the court decisions. These cases involve family law matters, such as divorce and custody disputes. Some of the cases involve issues related to homeschooling and parental rights. Each case has its own unique details and outcomes. Antony Barone Kolenc is a retired Air Force lawyer and now teaches law in Florida. He writes for Practical Homeschooling Magazine and speaks at legal, writing, and homeschool events. He also wrote a trilogy of historical fiction books for young adults. This column is from the Family Law Section and is about promoting duty and service to the public, improving justice, and advancing the study of law.

Source: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-journal/homeschooling-and-the-perils-of-shared-parental-responsibility/