The amount of child support is based on guidelines defined in Florida law. Child support guidelines are standards used to determine the support needed for a child and the amount the parent has to pay. Guidelines help ensure that support amounts are fair Each state has guidelines, but they may be different in each state. Adding each parent's monthly net income together determines their combined disposable income.
The state uses this figure to establish a parent's basic monthly obligation, or how much they are expected to spend on their children each month. Because these guidelines use income as one of the main determinants of a child support order, it is essential that you understand what the court will use to determine your earned income. The DOR Child Support Program automatically opens its own child support case for divorced parents receiving public assistance and single parents applying for public assistance. In such a case, the financial situation of either parent must show sufficient evidence to produce a change of at least 10% in monthly child support.
If you have further questions about the income considered when calculating child support or what other deductions you may be entitled to, contact Orlando family law attorneys at Adams& Luka. Allowable deductions include federal, state, and local tax deductions, certain health insurance premiums, mandatory union dues, mandatory retirement payments, social security and Medicare payments, spousal support (alimony) payments, and court-ordered child support payments for children of other relationships. In Florida, both parents have a legal obligation to keep their children within their financial capacity to do so. However, a court may demand continued child support after the age of 18 if the child is dependent due to a mental or physical disability that began before the age of 18, or if the child is between 18 and 19 years old, is still in high school, performs in good faith, and is reasonably expected to be graduate If you are the spouse who will receive child support in a divorce situation or the spouse who will pay support, you may not know what is considered income when the courts calculate child support amounts.
If a parent has a case before the DOR and the family court, the DOR works with the court to issue a child support order. Once the court has entered an initial order for child support, a parent who wants to modify (change) the order must demonstrate a substantial change in circumstances. If the other party is unemployed, underemployed, or does not earn as much as you could in an attempt to reduce child support payments, the court can impute income. As a result, paying spouses would seek a tax advantage by agreeing to pay a higher amount of alimony (which is tax-deductible) and a correspondingly lower amount of child support.
After this resolution, child support lawyers help calculate child support and net income for both parents based on their gross income, minus deductibles. However, there are still several deductions that a party may qualify for that would lower their child support payments. Rather than sharing expenses proportionately, parties may find it more advantageous for one parent to cover child care expenses, while the other parent covers the health insurance premium for the child. To find an online calculator, use your preferred online search engine and search for the term Florida Child Support Calculator.
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