Overview Of Child Support In Florida
When you are facing the end of a relationship or a marriage and there are children involved. Your number one priority is the health and wellbeing of your child. With that said, you may feel that it is easier to raise your child or children on two incomes. With the breakdown of a marriage or a relationship, the worry becomes on how you will be able to continue to provide for your child. What provisions will you have to consider in terms of child care or aftercare, medical expenses, school expenses and more?
Without a clear idea of how you will be able to manage or the reliability of two incomes, the first step is understanding how your finances will change. What will you now have to account for in terms of child-support payments that you will either pay or receive depending on whether or not the child will live with your or what type of parenting time you will have with your child? This overview does not cover the child-support guidelines in their entirety and is meant to briefly go over some of what you will be facing. For more detailed information and advice, it is important to speak to an experienced Florida Family Lawyer.
Let’s take a look at some of the items that you will need to look at going forward.
Child Support Calculations
Child support calculations are not based on a flat figure or a standard figure that is imposed on a parent across the board in all cases. Support is based on a calculation that comes from a financial formula provided by a Florida Statute. This formula is also referred to as Child Support Guidelines.
What goes into this formula for calculation?
- The child/children’s overnight stays with each parent
- How many children in common you have
- Each parent’s Net Income
What Next? Math That Is Based On Net Incomes
What is the amount needed is for raising the child/children based on the net income provided? Based on the amount needed, you will split the cost by the percentage that pertains to the parent in need based on their income in contrast to the other parent’s income. Next both net incomes are split in half by the combined income figure. The cost of your child’s health care is also accounted for during the child support calculations.
Final Say On Child Support
It’s important to note that the judge assigned to your case has the ability to either increase or decrease the amount of child support that you will pay by a small percentage. This is normally limited in the areas of 5% however, there may be extenuating or extreme circumstances under which the judge may increase the amount you will pay or decrease the amount you will receive substantially. In the latter case, the judge will have to provide the reasoning behind such a great increase or decrease in writing.
Get Help With Your Florida Child Support Case
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