What does it take to modify a Florida parenting plan or time-sharing schedule after the divorce is final?

Modifying an existing Florida parenting plan or time-sharing schedule is deliberately difficult, because courts value stability for children. To change a final order, a parent generally must show two things: that there has been a substantial and material change in circumstances since the last order, and that the requested change is in the child’s best interests. The change must be significant — not something that was already anticipated when the original order was entered. This is a higher bar than the standard for the original parenting plan, and it exists to prevent constant re-litigation of custody. Because the standard is demanding and fact-specific, and because a contested modification is costly and stressful, mediation is often an excellent path: parents who agree on a needed change can present it to the court together, avoiding a difficult evidentiary fight.