The difference between joint decision making and sole decision making in Florida for your children in a divorce case is as follows. Shared decision making is the type of decision making you make during the course of your marriage. You get together with each other concerning the major issues in your child’s life, you discuss them, you come to a agreement, and you act on that agreement. If you can’t come to an agreement, then you’re going to wait and try to mediate between yourselves some kind of alternative.

Sole decision making is just the opposite. If a party is awarded sole decision making in Florida, then that spouse doesn’t have to confer with the other parent upon any issue in the child’s life. That spouse can just go make the decision. It’s the complete opposite of shared decision making. It is very rarely granted in Florida because you have to prove that shared decision making is detrimental to the child. Detriment has not been well defined by case law, but essentially, you have to suffer some kind of extreme substance abuse issue, personality disorder, or alternative lifestyle which would have a damaging impact on your child, and which would prevent logical or rational joint decision making.