About Father’s Rights in Child Support

In Florida, every father has rights when child support for his children is being determined in a custody case. In fact, thanks to a change in laws that took effect in 2008, fathers have the same rights as mothers when it comes to paying or receiving child support. However, many men frequently end up paying too much child support because they don’t understand their rights.

Matthew P. Irwin is one of the few men’s rights attorneys in Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. His Florida family law firm’s experience in helping divorced fathers avoid excessive child support payments can be put to work for you.

If You’re a Father, your Rights in Child Support Calculations are Based on Child’s Needs and Parents’ Income

A father’s rights in child support matters are essentially limited to being considered equal with the mother, with no bias as to which parent is going to pay child support payments. Under Florida’s old rules, the mother was generally assumed to have primary custody unless shown that she was unfit to be the custodial parent. This generally left the father paying child support. Under the new rules child support is calculated strictly based on the child’s needs and each parent’s ability to meet those needs.

Considerations figured into child support payments include:

Direct payments each parent makes on behalf of the child — like health insurance premiums
Available income of each parent, including deductions for certain expenses
Whether the child spends more time with one parent, resulting in higher expenses for food, clothing, housing and utilities
Education and healthcare needs of the child
Child’s lifestyle expenses — usually based on the lifestyle the couple maintained while married
Other considerations that influence a parent’s financial contributions

fathers rights in child support

If one parent ends up with the bulk of expenses, either through actual payments like insurance premiums or through expenses associated with having the child for more time, the other parent will be required to pay child support. In many cases the father does end up paying child support, but there are also many cases in which the mother pays child support to the father.

For more information on how child support is calculated, please visit our Child Support page.

Talk About Father's Rights & Child Support With Our Attorneys

You can discuss your case with one of the few men’s rights attorneys in Charlotte, Lee and Collier counties. Find out what your rights regarding child support are under Florida’s new divorce and family laws. His firm’s committed to making sure men get the answers they need for divorce and custody cases. You can schedule a consultation regarding fathers’ rights and child support on our Consults page.Or Call us toll-free today at 866-995-0166 .

More resources:

You can find more answers to your questions about divorce, custody and support on our Free Resources page. You can learn more about how we handle child support and related issues in our Practice Areas section, especially on the Protecting Father's Rights in Child Support page.

About The Author

The Men's Rights Law Firm in Cape Coral, Florida is focused on protecting men's rights in divorce and custody cases. Please visit our family law blog to stay updated on family law matters in Florida and throughout the United States.

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If you have any questions about your Florida divorce or would like a Consultation, please call us at 866-995-0166 or email us today.