At The Houser Law Firm in Jacksonville, Florida, we are here to help you in all aspects of family law. In continuing with our service series, today we will be talking about child support.
Child support is money provided to a parent raising a child without the financial help of the other parent being in the home. Child support is paid to meet the needs of the child, including housing, utilities, food, clothing, and medical care. Child support may not be waived. The child has a right to receive child support, and a parent cannot waive the right of the child.
If one parent is not assisting the other parent with financial support, the parent in need of support may file for child support. Depending on the circumstances of the case, a parent may file for child support during a divorce. If the parents are not married, the party in need of support would file a paternity case.
The court calculates child support based on multiple factors that include the monthly income of each party, the cost of health insurance for the child, day care or after school child care expenses and the number of overnights the child spends with each parent.
In some cases, the Department of Revenue may begin child support proceedings. Generally, when a parent applies for state assistance, the State of Florida will take the necessary steps to ensure the other parent is paying child support.
It is important to note that child support can always be modified, should the financial circumstances of either party change. Some situations that may warrant a modification in child support include: one party begins making more money, one party involuntarily loses a job, health care expenses for the child increase or decrease, or the non-majority timesharing parent is not exercising his or her allotted timesharing.
If you're in need of help in a child support case, contact us for a consultation.