Fort Lauderdale Child Time-Sharing: When Parents Disagree About Their Child’s Medical Care

When parents share custody, they often share decision-making too, and few disagreements cut deeper than those involving a child’s health. Should your child get vaccinated? Start a new medication? Undergo a recommended surgery? When you and your co-parent land on opposite sides of these questions, the tension can escalate fast.

Understanding how Broward County family courts handle medical disputes can help you protect your rights and, more importantly, your child. Our experienced Fort Lauderdale child custody attorney explains how Florida law applies.

What Florida Law Says About Medical Decision-Making in Child Custody Cases

Florida courts strongly favor shared parental responsibility. That means both parents retain the right to weigh in on major decisions, including not only the child’s education, religious upbringing, and extracurricular activities, but also the child’s healthcare.

Under Section 61.13 of the Florida Statutes, parents must consult each other before making decisions. Here’s how the law applies:

• Non-emergency medical decisions, including vaccinations, elective procedures, specialist referrals, and ongoing treatment plans, require both parents’ agreement.
• Either parent can authorize emergency care if waiting could put a child at serious risk.
• Mental health treatment follows different rules, allowing either parent consent to mental health treatment unless the parenting plan says otherwise.
• If joint decision-making proves harmful to the child, the court can give one parent final authority in that particular area.

Acting alone, such as scheduling a procedure or starting a medication without your co-parent’s knowledge, may count as a violation of shared parental responsibility and could damage your standing in future proceedings.

How Broward County Courts Resolve Medical Disputes Between Parents

When parents hit a true impasse, there are several ways the Broward County Family Court can break the deadlock. The guiding standard is always the child’s best interests, and judges apply that standard carefully. Here’s how the process typically works:

• Either parent can file a legal motion to resolve the dispute.
• Both sides can present their case at a court hearing.
• The Broward County court may appoint a guardian ad litem to review the child’s medical records and recommend what’s in the child’s best interests.
• A judge may require independent medical opinions, especially in complex cases involving disputed diagnoses or competing treatment options.
• If ongoing disagreements harm the child, the court may give one parent permanent decision-making authority over healthcare.

Medical decisions are sensitive matters and could impact your child for years to come. To protect their health and your parental rights, get professional legal help before taking any actions.

Contact Our Experienced Fort Lauderdale Child Custody Attorney Today

Medical disagreements are common in Fort Lauderdale child time-sharing cases. Whether you’re trying to enforce your right to participate in healthcare decisions or resolve a specific dispute with your co-parent, the Law Office of Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. is here to help.

We represent parents throughout Broward County, protecting their rights and their child’s best interests. Before taking any actions, request a consultation with our experienced Fort Lauderdale child custody attorney. Call or contact us online today.

Sources:

flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/61.13

flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2025/61.046