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Orlando Child Support Lawyer
In Florida, child support amounts are governed by statute. Calculating an accurate support award can still be a challenge.
Our Orlando child support attorneys have over 50 years of combined experience helping parents obtain, modify, and enforce child support awards in the Central Florida area.
It is critical that you understand how Florida’s child support laws apply to your personal situation if you need to deal with child support issues.
At McMichen, Cinami & Demps, we have over 50 years of combined experience helping parents deal with child support issues in the Orlando area.
If you need to:
- Seek child support,
- Make sure that your child support obligation is fairly calculated,
- Modify or enforce an existing child support award,
Contact our experienced Orlando family law attorneys for help today at (407) 898-2161.
Table of Contents
How Are Child Support Payments Established in Florida?
In Florida, as in other states, child support obligations are established by court order. If you are going through a divorce, you and your spouse may be able to agree on a support amount.
If there are issues with calculating child support (for example, if your spouse is hiding income), you may need to go to court. In either case, our attorneys can work side-by-side with you to make sure you receive an appropriate child support order.
In most cases, child support continues until the child’s eighteenth birthday. The court order awarding child support will state the amount to be paid each month.
If the order covers multiple children, it will specify the amount and end date for support for each individual child. Parents can agree to a different end date for child support.
Courts can also award extended support for:
(i) children with physical or mental disabilities,
(ii) children who are still in high school through age 19.
What Are The Florida Child Support Guidelines?
Florida’s child support laws include a comprehensive set of guidelines for determining each parent’s financial obligations and ensuring that the children remain financially supported.
The child support guidelines (Florida Statute § 61.30) will be controlling in most instances.
However, courts do have the ability to increase or reduce child support awards by up to five percent. Courts have the discretion to do this “after considering all relevant factors”. They can order even greater deviations if an award based on the guidelines’ calculation “would be unjust or inappropriate.”
There are four main factors that come into play with the Florida child support guidelines. These are:
- The parents’ incomes
- Child care cost
- Time-sharing
- Health insurance
How Is Child Support Calculated in Florida?
The parents’ respective incomes are important factors when calculating child support awards in Orlando, Florida. A parent will pay child support according to both his or her ability to pay and earning potential, among other factors.
This is why you need to make sure that you have as much information as possible about you and your partner’s income. You can ensure that you receive a fair support award (or are not required to pay too much in child support) by having accurate income information.
This includes the following factors:
- Wages, salary, and overtime
- Bonuses
- Commissions and tips
- Disability, Social Security, and workers’ compensation benefits
- Spousal support from a prior marriage
- Retirement and investment income
- Business income from trusts and estates
Calculating income can often be one of the most challenging issues when it comes to determining child support. Our attorneys can help make sure that your spouse is not hiding income and that you accurately disclose the right information about your personal financial circumstances.
Calculating Child Support: Child Care
The next major factor in calculating child support is the cost of child care for employment purposes. This child care cost will be factored into the guidelines with each parent responsible for their proportional share.
Calculating Child Support: Time-Sharing
The parents’ time-sharing schedule will factor into the determination of child support as well. However, it is important to note that the parent with the majority of time-sharing will not necessarily be the parent to receive child support. Substantial sharing of overnights (over 20 percent) also impacts the child support award.
Calculating Child Support: Health Insurance
The fourth major factor for most parents when calculating child support is health insurance. This includes medical, dental and vision insurance. You will want to make sure you have all relevant information in order to ensure a fair order of child support.
Call Now To Speak With An Orlando Child Support Lawyer from the McMichen, Cinami & Demps law office.
The Orlando child support lawyers at McMichen, Cinami & Demps have decades of experience representing clients with child support issues. We are a family law firm that can provide legal advice for all matters related to child support, including child support enforcement, modifying child support, and child custody.
To learn more about enforcing your rights and to get help making sure that you receive a fair child support award, call (407) 898-2161 or contact us today for a free consultation.
Orlando, FL Child Support Resources
- Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Case Info
- Orange County (Orlando, FL) Clerk Circuit Court Child Support Info
- Florida Child Support Statutes § 63.10
- Florida Court Child Support Guidelines Worksheet
Orlando, FL Therapists
- Everyone’s Counseling Center, Inc. – 1600 E Robinson St #250, Orlando, FL 32803
- Heart Bonds Counseling – 600 E Colonial Dr Suite 220, Orlando, FL 32803
- High Expectations Counseling – 545 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL 32803
- Providence Counseling Center – 430 N Mills Ave # 4, Orlando, FL 32803
- The Counseling Corner – 1631 Hillcrest St, Orlando, FL 32803
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
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