Primary Residential Parent
"Primary residential parent" is an older Florida label describing the parent with whom a child lived most of the time. Florida eliminated this term in 2008 in favor of a time-sharing schedule set out in a parenting plan, so judges no longer designate one parent as "primary" and the other as "secondary." Today, both parents share parental responsibility and the parenting plan simply spells out the actual time-sharing schedule.
Last updated June 21, 2026
Legal Definition
Formerly used to denote the custodial parent of primary residence, this designation was removed from Florida law by the 2008 revisions to Chapter 61, which replaced "custody" and "primary/secondary residential parent" with "time-sharing" and "parenting plan" under F.S. §61.046 and §61.13.
Example
Clients sometimes ask who will be the "primary residential parent," but Florida now resolves that through a time-sharing schedule instead.
Related Statutes
- 61.046
- 61.13
Related Terms
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