Child support payments are part of life for many Orlando families. Establishing support under Florida law requires both parties to prioritize their children while protecting their interests. The Orlando child support lawyers at the O’Mara Law Group are prepared to use their decades of Florida family law experience to navigate your family’s case.
The Florida Statute § 61.30 provides rules to guide a court’s calculation and determination of child support obligations.
The net income of both parents is the primary factor in Florida’s child support guidelines. The court will first consider your gross income from sources including but not limited to:
To determine your net income, the court then makes deductions from your gross income, including but not limited to:
The court combines your net income with the other parent’s, factors in the number of children you share, and assigns child support obligations according to the chart in Florida’s guidelines.
Generally, a Florida court may increase or reduce your child support payment under the guidelines by up to five percent upon consideration of your case. A more significant deviation is possible when the court deems the amount awarded under the guidelines unjust.
Florida courts have flexibility based on several factors they may consider relevant:
Each Florida family law matter is as unique as each family. Your situation deserves the diligent attention of an Orlando child support lawyer at the O’Mara Law Group. We evaluate each factor in your case and fervently pursue a positive outcome for you and your children.
Orlando parents must make child support payments until each minor reaches 18. However, Florida Statute § 743.07 allows for extending support obligations under certain circumstances.
For instance, support may be extended if a child is between 18 and 19 and has not yet graduated high school. If a child has special needs that constitute physical or mental incapacity, child support may be continued beyond the child’s 19th birthday.
Life changes that impact the needs of your children are often unpredictable. Fortunately, Florida law allows either parent to request the modification of a child support order.
You may petition the court to modify child support due to changes such as your income, your child’s medical needs, or a temporary financial hardship. Parents can agree on these modifications and present them to a judge for approval, or both parties can participate in a circuit court modification hearing.
A compassionate representative skilled in Florida family law can simplify the modification process by filing a petition on your behalf, collecting all required documentation, and ensuring your support is adjusted to fit your child’s changing needs.
Family issues such as divorce can be contentious long after agreements are reached. Parents sometimes act on emotions when children are involved by refusing visitation or neglecting child support obligations. Florida parents have multiple forms of recourse when the paying parent fails to take responsibility for contributing to a child’s upbringing:
The Florida Court Clerks and Comptroller’s Office sends a delinquent notice to a non-paying parent after 15 days. If payment is not made within 20 days, a judgment can be entered against the other parent, and you may request a suspension of their Florida driver’s license.
The Florida Department of Revenue (DOR) strictly enforces child support payments. An income withholding order requires an obligor’s employer to deduct wages to be sent to the DOR for disbursement to the non-paying parent.
Orlando parents who are owed child support may file a claim in civil court. Under stringent Florida law, failure to pay child support can result in misdemeanor or felony charges and even jail time. Remedies can include fines, restitution for missed payments, and court costs.
If your child’s other parent falls behind or willfully does not make their payments, the experienced Orlando child support lawyers of the O’Mara Law Group will explore and pursue every avenue of relief.
