This Florida legislation passed in July, 2023, making all dads listed on the minor child's birth certificate the legal guardian of the child. Basically, it sets both parents on equal footing when it comes to the guardianship of the child. Before the Good Dad Act, a birth mother could file in court for a pick up order and get the child/ren into her custody with no questions asked. Now, the judge wants to hear from the birth father before signing a pick up order. So, we've made some progress for equal parenting.
However, the problem remains for the birth father that he must still file paperwork in family court to establish his legal rights. If he wants to establish decision making responsibilities and a written timesharing schedule for when he sees his child/ren, there is still a court process to follow. So, if you are not married to the other parent, and you want to be in your child's life, you have to file a petition in family court to legally establish your rights as the other parent, making sure that one parent isn't "the boss" of your child/ren.
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