Category Archives: Child Support
What Should I Do if My Ex Won’t Pay Child Support?
Divorce can be rough, and it doesn’t help if one partner feels like they are getting shafted. Trying to come up with a way to make ends meet in two separate locations on the same amount of money you’ve always had is certainly a challenge. Nevertheless, the non-custodial and/or higher earning individual does have… Read More »
I Need to Change the Custody Agreement I Have with my Ex
You and your spouse settled on a custody agreement and visitation plan at the time of your divorce, but things have changed, and the original agreement just isn’t the right fit anymore. The parenting plan itself is problematic and you think the entire custody agreement needs to be revamped. What options do you have… Read More »
Do I Have To Allow Visitation If My Ex Won’t Pay Child Support?
When you and your former spouse split, you hammered out a number of agreements. Inconsequential issues like who got the couch and who got the big screen took some time, but nothing was more emotionally draining and time consuming than coming up with a custody and visitation plan and agreeing on the appropriate amount… Read More »
Can I Ask a Judge to Extend Support Obligations Beyond My Child’s 18th Birthday?
It is well understood that parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children until they reach the age of 18. However, if the child is mentally or physically incapacitated, a court may order one or both parents to provide support “beyond the age of 18 years” under Florida law. In other cases,… Read More »
Can a Florida Court Modify My Child Support Obligation Even If I Move to Another State?
Child support represents an ongoing legal obligation. But while a Florida court may issue a child support order, what happens if the parent–or the child–moves to a different state? Does Florida still retain jurisdiction to decide any future changes to child support arrangements? Or can another state’s courts step in and assume jurisdiction? Understanding… Read More »
Rental Income and Child Support Payments
Florida law establishes a complex set of guidelines for determining child support obligations. The key to these guidelines is looking at a parent’s gross income. Such income includes not just the parent’s normal salary or wages from their job, but also any self-employment or business earnings, as well as certain government benefits, such as… Read More »
What Is “Imputed” Income, and How Does It Affect an Award of Child Support?
Florida courts base child support awards on a series of guidelines written into state law. These guidelines require a judge to consider all sources of a parent’s income when determining their ability to pay child support obligations. And in some cases, the court may assign or “impute” income to a parent who is unemployed… Read More »
Why You Should Never Lie About Your Income in a Florida Child Support Proceeding
Florida law establishes a set of child support guidelines that takes into account a number of factors, notably each parent’s respective income, in deciding the final amount of any support payments. Although parents may reach a voluntary agreement regarding child support, a judge must still approve any such agreement in accordance with the guidelines…. Read More »
When Does a Florida Court Need to Account for a Parent’s New Job in Modifying a Child Support Agreement?
Child support is supposed to take into account each parent’s respective financial situation. Obviously, as a parent’s fortunes change over time, so too may the precise amount of child support required. And while a parent cannot avoid child support by, say, voluntarily quitting their job in order to reduce their income, a judge may… Read More »
