Child Support

Overview

Child support disputes, regardless of income level, are highly complicated matters. Whether you will be paying child support or receiving it, our attorneys, with their decades of experience, will help you understand the child support guidelines and the complex mathematical calculation used to determine child support.

Florida law requires both parents to financially support their minor children until each child reaches 18 years of age (or no later than 19 years of age if the child is in high school with a reasonable expectation of graduating by the age of 19), marries, joins the Armed Forces, dies, or becomes emancipated. This is true regardless of whether the parents are married, divorced, or never married in the first place.

To determine the amount of child support each party is responsible to pay, courts utilize the child support guidelines, which contain a specific mathematical formula. The formula considers a variety of factors, including:

• the parents’ gross earnings from all sources and the appropriate deductions,
• the time-sharing arrangement and number of overnights each parent has with the child(ren),
• the amounts paid for the child’s medical and/or dental insurance, and
• the amounts paid for the child’s daycare.

The most significant factor in calculating child support is the parents’ income. In special circumstances, the Court may set child support higher or lower than the amounts provided for in the guidelines.

If you are a high-net-worth individual, it is in your best interest to seek the guidance of a skilled and experienced attorney as soon as possible, as child support guidelines may be deviated from in some cases.

For strategic and effective legal representation regarding child support, contact the Family Law attorneys at Kelley Kronenberg today.