Child Support Attorney
The amount of child support ordered in a divorce, separation or paternity action can have a significant impact on your financial well-being as well as that of your children.
The Law Offices of Tara J. Scott, P.A. provides diligent legal representation to parents who are seeking or challenging the award of child support. We can discuss the laws and how they may apply in your case.
Child Support Principles
Florida law has adopted standard child support guidelines to set a standard amount of support that should be awarded to provide for the financial needs of children in the state. These guidelines determine how much financial support the child needs and how much a parent is legally required to pay.
These guidelines consider the income of both parents, certain expenses related to the child, the standard needs of the child, how many children there are to support, and how parenting time is allocated between the parents.
This information is inserted into a formula to determine the appropriate amount of support for the situation.
Child support is linked to child custody – the more time the parent has overnights with the child, the less support he or she is required to pay.
There are important considerations in child support cases. Having a lawyer experienced in child support matters can help advocate for your needs and deal with complex matters. It is important in child support cases to have accurate information about earnings.
Florida courts can impute income to assign a certain amount of income to a parent, even if he or she is unemployed. Additionally, courts can adjust the child support obligation based on various factors, such as:
- Special needs or disability of the child
- The child’s own income
- Total assets of the parents or child
- The child’s age
- Existing child support orders
Modifying Child Support
In some situations, a child support order may be in place, but some changes in circumstances may justify a modification of child support, such as:
- Parental income – If the amount of either parent goes up or down that would result in the greater of $50 or 15% in change in the child support obligation, the amount of child support may be modified.
- Parenting time – A substantial change in the amount of parenting time can also justify a modification in child support.
- Expenses – Changes in child-related expenses such as daycare, medical expenses or other child support orders can justify a change in the order.
Help from a Dedicated Child Support Attorney
If you need assistance with your Florida child support case, contact the Law Offices of Tara J. Scott, P.A. She can help determine the amount of support that may be ordered in your case and provide dedicated advocacy to adjust the obligation amount based on any special factors that are present in your case. We can discuss your legal options and pursue that a fair award is made in your case.