How To Figure Child Support

To avoid paying too much child support, an attorney should help get you a parenting plan in which you have your child the same amount of time as the mother—or more, if possible. Because of new laws protecting a father’s rights, child support paid by the father decreases when the father spends more time with the child. In some cases, the mother may end up paying support when she spends less time with the child than the father, according to Florida law. Attorneys with experience in child custody matters and fathers’ rights, like Matthew Irwin, can help you establish a parenting plan or timesharing plan that gets you equal time or nearly equal time with your child so you pay less support and can be a bigger part of your child’s life.

If you already have a timesharing plan or custody arrangement in place, but believe it could be more equal, it is possible to get your custody and support ordered modified—especially if it was arranged under the old Florida law. Our experienced attorneys can tell how likely it is to get your judgment modified. To read more about how child support orders can be modified, please read the following article: Child Support Attorney Explains Modification of Judgments in Child Support Cases

Understanding Florida Law Concerning Child Support—Attorney Explains

Florida law gives children the right to be supported by both parents and thereby obligates both parents to provide support. That support is supplied through spending time with the child and mutual contribution to the child’s expenses. If circumstances don’t allow both parents to spend the same amount of time with the child, or the court finds reason to restrict one parent’s accessibility to the child, the parent spending less time with the child is, in most circumstances, ordered to pay child support. An attorney with experience in protecting father’s rights and child support laws can help you keep those payments to a minimum.

Enforcement of Child Support Payments

Formulas for determining child support payments are provided in Florida law and an attorney can help you estimate how much your payments are likely to be. The formula is based on each parent’s gross income and allowable expenses balanced against the number of overnight stays the child has with each parent. The calculations favor the paying parent much more when he has the child for 20% or more of the nights each year. Contact our child support attorneys for an estimate of your payments.

Support Payments and Visitation are Independent

If one parent withholds child support payments, the other parent cannot prevent the paying parent to from spending time with the child. Likewise, if one parent prevents or inhibits visitation, the other parent cannot withhold child support. Both actions are illegal and can be punished through contempt of court or, in some cases, jail time.

Child support may include more than cash

A parent ordered to pay child support may also be required to maintain life insurance or other security to ensure the child receives support should something catastrophic happen to the paying parent. Payment for the child’s health insurance, uncovered medical, dental and prescription expenses may also be required. Support orders may also specify when support may be increased or decreased, who claims the child’s dependency for tax purposes and other considerations needing clarity. Your child support attorney can help you identify matters that need to be included.

Talk with a Leading Men’s Rights and Child Support Attorney

A father’s rights to child support are the same as a mother’s. Find out how to protect your rights.

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.

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You can find more information on divorce, custody and support issues on our Free Resources page. The links below will take you to articles on topics related to child support: