Hollywood Child Support Attorney
No child can survive on love alone. Just like any other human being, they require essentials like shelter, food, water, clothing, and other items in order to survive and thrive. It is the responsibility of both of the child’s parents to ensure their child’s needs are met.
In Florida, both parents are legally required to provide financial support to their children. That does not mean that all parents are automatically required to pay child support to the courts for disbursement. Typically, one parent is required to make child support payments to ensure the child receives consistent care and is adequately provided for, no matter which parent they are with.
Several factors impact who pays child support and how much. The courts consider the income of both of the parents, the existing time-sharing and custody agreements, and all costs associated with raising the child, including insurance, child care, and any health-related or specific educational needs.
Whether you are ready to take responsibility for your child by setting up your child support obligation for the first time, if you need assistance with ensuring your support payment fit your ability to pay, if you require support with existing support order enforcement, or if you need help requesting support modifications, Davis and Associates, Attorneys at Law are the Hollywood child support attorneys you can count on.
Call Davis and Associates, Attorneys at Law at (954) 513-4001 for a Free Consultation!
Child Support Calculation
While every parent is responsible for supporting their minor children, not every parent is required to pay child support. In most situations, one parent is expected to make financial contributions that are then dispersed to the other parent to be used for the care of the child.
Typically, if a parent has sole physical responsibility for the child as determined by the time-sharing agreement, they will also most likely be the parent receiving the support payment, as it is assumed that they are already contributing to the financial support of the child as part of their daily life. However, there are extreme situations where this may not be the case, such as the custodial parent having a substantially higher income than the noncustodial parent. We analyze your unique support situation to help you understand if you will be responsible for making child support payments, and if so, what your child support obligation will most likely be.
The factors the Florida courts consider when making child support determinations are:
- Monthly income of both parents
- Any additional monetary benefits they have, such as social security
- The number of children each parent is responsible for supporting
- Amount, if any, paid in spousal support to the other parent
- The physical time spent with each parent in custodial nights
- Health insurance, school fees, and other set care-related expenses
While many parents focus on the time-sharing aspect of parental responsibility, building a healthy, loving relationship with your children is only half of the equation. Even more important is ensuring that their basic needs are met by providing suitable financial support. As a parent of a minor child, it is your responsibility to provide your fair share. Our Florida child support lawyers focus on ensuring both parents contribute to the financial well-being of the child so that all of their needs are effectively met.
If you are currently seeking to obtain a child support order to assist with expenses or looking to understand your potential support obligation, Davis and Associates, Attorneys at Law is ready to assist you with dedicated, quality legal guidance.
Child Support Enforcement
Most child support obligations remain active until the child finishes high school, or turns 18, whichever comes later.
Child support may be extended in some specific cases, such as if the child has a disability or medical need that requires consistent care into adulthood. Regardless of your situation, if Florida courts have required you to pay child support, you are legally required to make regular, full payments until the obligation expires.
When support payments fail to be made on time, legal action can be taken against you to enforce child support payment. Wage garnishment, liens against your home or business, even jail time can all be potential consequences of failing to meet your child support obligation in full and on time.
This also means that if you are the parent who has been awarded support payments, you have recourse to help you obtain the funds you need to properly support your child financially if they are not arriving according to the court defined schedule.
As your Hollywood child support attorneys, we aggressively fight to ensure you are getting full and timely financial support.
Child Support Modification
Even though your support obligation may be appropriate at the time of initial enactment, it is unlikely that the same obligation will continue to meet your needs and the needs of the child for the full 18 years.
Several factors can cause your child support payment obligation to be subject to review and adjustment, and either parent has the opportunity to request a child support review.
A child support order may need to be modified or extended, depending on the unique situation of the parents. If the parent responsible for paying support loses their job, then they may be able to reduce their ordered payments. However, if the parent providing support payments relocates so they have less physical time spent with the child, then they may be responsible for increasing their payments.
There can also be changes within the child’s life that can be cause for updated support calculations, such as a disability, illness, or special education needs.
Our Hollywood, FL child support lawyers work with the department of Florida Child Support Services to assist with all aspects of child support payments, enforcement, and modifications. We work directly with this department to ensure your modification requests are given high priority and that all relevant facts of the case are accurately presented. If there is an attempt made to hide income, promotions, or raises, we will diligently investigate to ensure rightful, equitable support is ordered and provided.
Let’s Talk Now- Free Consultation
Financially supporting your child is the first step to developing a healthy, loving relationship. Adequately providing the vital resources your child needs, such as enough food to eat, well-fitting clothes, coats, and shoes, and the ability to get the health and medical care they need helps your child to maintain a healthy and safe life. Ensuring these basic needs are met allows your child to focus their attention on their education, friendships, hobbies, and other childhood pursuits. The knowledge that you are supporting them also helps to reinforce your relationship by showing your child that you are invested in them and their future.
If you are seeking to obtain a child support order from the other parent, are ready to take financial responsibility for your minor child, or need assistance with support modification or support enforcement, the dedicated Hollywood child support attorneys at Davis and Associates, Attorneys at Law are ready to assist you.
Call Davis and Associates, Attorneys at Law today at (954) 513-4001 for your Free Consultation!