Filing for Child Support in Florida
Parents can easily apply for Florida child support online through the Florida Department of Revenue. However, just as with any legal process, it’s important to have a lawyer oversee the process to make sure everything happens fairly. Child custody laws can be confusing. If your ex has a good divorce attorney or has done their research, you will likely come out of the process short-handed.
The battle over child custody is already emotionally taxing. You shouldn’t need to prolong the process by trying to figure it out on your own.
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Struggling with how to navigate child support in Florida?
What to Expect from Child Support in Florida
The child support process is different for everyone. There’s a lot involved in learning how to file for child support in Florida. Your child’s quality of life is more than just a math problem, and Florida courts will make their decision based on more than just total gross income. That’s why a simple child support calculator won’t give you the whole picture. Your best chance at getting the fairest outcome is by hiring an experienced family attorney to help you through the process.
Do custody arrangements affect child support?
Florida child custody laws are organized in a manner meant to give both parents equal opportunity to raise the child. This also means they have equal responsibility. Regardless of whatever time sharing agreement has been put in place, both parents will be held responsible for the child’s best interest. This means even if both parents spend equal time with the child, one parent may still be held responsible for child support payments.
Remember: Your Child Comes First
When it comes to time-sharing and child support, all decisions by the court will be made in the best interest of the child. If you are the one responsible for paying child support, your lawyers will help make sure you are paying your fair share. Whether you are the parent who needs to pay child support, or the one receiving it, keep in mind that the money is meant to give your children the ability to live as well as possible. If you feel this is not what’s happening, your best chance at overcoming it is by contacting a Florida child support attorney.
Can you Modify Child Support in Florida?
Yes! Just because a decision has been made does not mean that it cannot be changed. Many factors go into deciding on the amount of child support a person receives. In order to apply for a payment modification, you will need to prove the original child support order is no longer relevant due to a substantial change in your situation.
Try Our Free Florida Child Support Calculator
Do You Need a Lawyer for Child Support in Florida
It is possible to apply for child support in Florida. However, people generally expect best case scenario when they apply for a legal process. If you run into road bumps, you run the risk of not getting the outcome you deserve.
At LaFrance Family Law, we make it our priority to work with every child support client from an empathetic and understanding perspective. We fight for our clients the way we would for our family or friends. If this is the kind of representation you need, contact us for a child support consultation today.
Changes that can influence a modification of child support include:
- Job or position change for either parent
- Any change in the needs of the child
- A child’s medical emergency
- One parent’s economic or medical emergency
- Temporary or permanent parental disability
Child Support FAQs
The child support calculation begins with a determination of the combined net income of both parents. The number of children will dictate the amount of child support relative to the combined net income. So for instance: combined net income of x, results in a total support obligation of $xx for one child, $xx for two children and $xx for three children. Each parent also has an obligation to contribute to the health insurance cost to cover the children and to contribute to any daycare care expense and un-reimbursed medical expenses.
If you have joint custody or equal time-sharing as it is known in Florida, whether you owe child support will depend on each parent’s respective net incomes. If both parents have the same or substantially the same net income, neither parent may have to pay the other child support. If there is a disparity between net incomes, so that one parent is earning more each year than the other, the higher earning parent, may have to pay some child support to the other parent. However, it is important that all offsets are factored in, including payment of health insurance and daycare. In addition, filing status and tax dependency exemptions must be accounted for.
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