Stuart, Florida Attorneys Helping You Get Fair Child Support
Getting your children the financial support they need
Under Florida law, both parents have an obligation to financially support their children. Whether parents are divorced or were never married, each has a legal responsibility to contribute to their child’s upbringing. There are many expenses that go into raising a child, and it is important that parents are able to properly provide for their family even without being married. Our Family Law attorneys make the well-being of your children a top priority. We work closely with our clients to help you create a support plan that is best for you and your kids.
How is child support determined in Florida?
Child support payments are calculated using the Florida Child Support Guidelines, which looks at each parent’s income and the number of children involved. The guidelines include a basic amount of child support obligations that show you the approximate amount you can be expected to pay, but this amount will be modified based on your specific situation. This amount is then divided between the parents based on their individual incomes. Jessica M. VanValkenburgh, Esq., and her staff can help you figure out how much child support you may be obligated to pay or receive.
Factors that affect child support payments
There are certain factors that may increase or decrease the amount of required child support, including:
- Parenting time — When one parent has primary physical custody (the custodial parent) and the other has visitation rights, the amount of time the noncustodial parent spends with the child affects the amount of support they are obligated to pay.
- Additional needs — Your support obligation is also affected by the cost of your child’s healthcare and other additional expenses.
- Deviations — If your child has extraordinary expenses because of education, special needs or medical needs, you may need a different amount of support than what was calculated according to the guidelines. This may also be the case if a parent has extra expenses to due to medical, disability, employment or other reasons.
- Imputed income — If a court determines that one parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed in order to avoid paying child support, the court will impute income to that parent. This means the court will act as though that parent is making more than they are. That way, the child will still receive the amount of financial support they need.
Jessica M. VanValkenburgh will look closely at your situation to help you determine an appropriate child support arrangement.
Modifying and enforcing child support in Florida
As time goes on, circumstances change. One parent may lose a job or get a much higher paying one. The amount of time one parent spends with a child may change. Circumstances like these may warrant a modification of support. Ms. VanValkenburgh and her staff can help you file a request to modify your support order.
In situations where one parent is refusing to pay child support, you need an attorney on your side to enforce the order.
Contact a skilled child custody attorney in Stuart, Florida today
The attorneys at McCarthy, Summers, Wood, Norman, Melby & Schultz, P.A. are dedicated to protecting the well-being of your children and ensuring that your child support order is fair and appropriate. Call us today at 772-286-1700 or contact us online to speak to our experienced lawyers. From our Stuart, Florida office, we represent clients along the Treasure Coast.
