Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
disciplining step kids
I have two step kids and recently spanked one , tow hits on the back side with a wodden spoon . Well their dad lives in NJ and we live in FL. so they went up to stay with him a week for Thanksgiving , and the spanken must have came up well he called my wife and flew off the hook and tould her that I was not alowed to spank his kids . To me it was a slap in the face, to me they are my kids as well . just want to know my rights and what I should say to him if he wants to dispute my right as their parent.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: disciplining step kids
You have no "rights" as their parent--because you're not--and there is no law or guideline as to whether you have the power, as a step-parent, to physically discipline the kids. Your wife and the children's father will have to agree together whether you have this power, and you should probably stay out of the argument. If they can't agree, you should probably just leave the physical discipline up to your wife, if she chooses. While it's admirable for a step-father to want to be fully involved in his step-children's lives and care for them as his own, you always have to remember that you are a back-seat driver so long as the biological father is still involved, even if his involvement is from several states away.
And a word to the wise: using a tool for physical discipline is almost always a bad idea. I'm not critizing your method of discipline, it's just that, as a family lawyer, I've often seen it as a sure-fire way to get DCF involved in your life.
Related Questions & Answers
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
