Martin County Child Support Attorneys
Handling Complex Child Support Cases for Clients
When a child is brought into the world, both responsible parties have a financial obligation to that child. This is an obligation to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the child is taken care of to the best of the parents’ abilities, and that means being able to afford the comforts and necessities they are entitled to. That’s why child support is so important, as many parents cannot give their children the life they deserve without financial help from the other parent after divorce.
Like many family law matters, child support can be a complicated issue that requires quality legal assistance to understand. You can count on the Martin County family lawyers at Treasure Coast Legal to guide you through the process of calculating payments, enforcing court orders, and requesting a payment modification when necessary. We believe that all children are entitled to support from their parents, both financially and emotionally, so we’re committed to helping clients like you with this issue. Call our Martin County family law firm today for a free consultation with a trusted attorney.
How Does Child Support Work in Florida?
One of the most critical aspects of your family law case is determining whether you will pay or receive child support. This will depend on the child custody arrangements and the amount of income each parent earns.. The custodial parent who spends the most time with the child will typically receive financial support from the parent who sees the child less. Each parent’s income also plays a role, since the parent with the higher income is more likely to be ordered to pay child support, especially if they get less time with the child.
Payments are required until the child is 18, or 19 if the child is still in high school. This financial support is expected to go toward necessities for the child, such as shelter, clothing, food, and health care costs. Other expenses may also be considered, such as extracurricular activities, daycare, transportation, and anything else necessary to minimize the impact the divorce may have on the child’s quality of life.
Of course, each family law case is unique, which is why most parents find they need to consult a knowledgeable attorney for peace of mind when it comes to their legal needs. If you’re unsure if you’ll be sending or receiving payments or want to know how your child custody situation will affect your case, contact our Martin County family law firm for legal support from a trusted lawyer.
How Is Child Support Calculated?
If a family has decided separation or divorce is necessary, the parents must make certain financial decisions to ensure a reasonable standard of living for all children involved. This philosophy should guide your case, as you and your co-parent should make informed decisions based on the best interests of your children when determining the amount of financial support that’s necessary.
Of course, the income of both parents is also a major consideration in any family law case, since this will determine the amount of the child’s expenses the court will expect each parent to pay for. As your case begins, you and your former partner must fill out a child support worksheet with guidelines for a judge to follow to appoint a fair amount of support from the non-custodial parent.
Note that Florida uses the Income Shares Model, which begins by adding both parents’ income together and then adjusting based on a few factors. One factor is the amount of time each parent spends with the child. Generally, the parent with the most parenting time will have a lower financial obligation, increasing the amount of financial support to expect from the other parent.
Other factors the judge will consider include the number of children involved in the family law case, the amount of money the parents would have spent on the child if they were still together, and the total cost of raising the child – including any special needs that are unique to the family. These factors can make this type of case confusing to handle on your own, so you should meet with a knowledgeable family law attorney for a better understanding of Florida child support guidelines before you go before a judge. Call our Martin County family law firm today to learn more.
Can You Modify Child Support Payments?
Once you get a court order regarding the amount of support that must be paid, it will remain in place until the child turns 18. However, during that time, certain circumstances might arise that require you or the other parent to ask for a modification of support. If you meet the court requirements for this family law matter, the judge might accept your request to increase or decrease payments.
Before you ask the court to change the child support order, you should know that you’ll have to prove that there has been a substantial change in circumstances regarding your income. This is the case whether you pay or receive financial support for your child. Some examples of major changes that should increase or decrease payments include:
- Reduced income due to job loss or a reduction in hours
- Increased income due to a new job or promotion
- Sudden inability to work due to disability
- Changes in the time-sharing schedule, resulting in one parent increasing their time with the child
- Significant increase or decrease in the costs of raising the child
These or other life changes may be sufficient to request a modification in child support, but the changes must be significant enough to increase or reduce the monthly payments by at least 15 percent or $50. If you’re unsure how much recent changes in your life could affect your financial obligations, call our law firm to speak with Martin County family lawyers, who will assist with requesting a new court order for you.
How Can Martin County Child Support Attorneys Help You?
The Martin County family lawyers at Treasure Coast Legal understand how complicated family law matters like child custody and support can be. That’s why we’re dedicated to assisting clients with family law cases of all kinds, focusing on keeping the children’s best interests in mind with every case we take on.
We’ve spent years guiding our clients through important family law matters, so you can trust that our family law attorneys have extensive experience with Florida laws governing child support and other issues. We’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the family law matters on your mind right now, so we encourage you to contact our law firm as soon as possible to discuss your legal concerns.
When having someone on your side counts, Treasure Coast Legal is the right choice. Call our trusted law office today at 772-248-9250 to schedule your free consultation with a family law attorney you can count on for high-quality legal services.