If you and your co-parent are sharing custody of your children and you have roughly the same income, you may have decided to share child-related expenses rather than put a child support order in place. You may both have every intention of paying your fair share of...
Child Support
Why you can’t deny visitation if your ex won’t pay child support
You received primary custody of your children in the divorce, and your co-parent has generous visitation rights. He was ordered to pay child support. However, some months he doesn't pay the full amount or doesn't get around to making a payment until weeks after it was...
Establishing paternity of your child
You and your boyfriend had a child, but are no longer together. You likely want him to pitch in with child support to help you raise that child. However, what if he never legally established paternity? When Florida couples have children outside of marriage, there are...
Tips for handling a child support hearing
If you and your co-parent aren't able to reach an agreement on the amount of child support, you'll have to take the issue to a judge to decide. Child support hearings often occur during divorce proceedings. However, if one of you later seeks a modification to the...
What kind of expenses should child support cover?
If you're a divorcing (or soon-to-be divorcing) parent, whether you'll be the one receiving or paying child support, it's essential to understand what kind of expenses it's intended to cover. Many people think that child support is only supposed to take care of a...
Addressing kids’ college expenses in child support agreements
When divorcing parents negotiate child support agreements, their primary focus is often how much money is needed to care for kids while they're still living at home (generally until they graduate from high school or turn 18). In most states, including Florida, the law...
Could one shared system help states collect child support?
All states, including Florida, have systems in place for tracking down parents who are behind on making child support payments and methods of trying to get the money they owe to the custodial parents. However, states have still struggled with keeping their systems...
Custody and support considerations for special needs children
Rearing a child with special needs can be difficult for parents. It's not uncommon for them to feel guilt about their children's conditions, no matter how misplaced that guilt may be. Parents often blame themselves or their child's other parent for any disabilities....
Child support isn’t just a matter of finances
Child support is often a touchy subject -- both the payer and the recipient may feel like they're getting a raw deal.. Unfortunately, those hard feelings often get transferred to the children involved. Parents who receive too little support forget that it isn't the...
What factors will cause a deviation in child support amounts?
Your child's other parent doesn't really receive the child support for his or her own use -- it actually belongs to the child. That's why both incomes are taken into consideration when determining the amount due to the child -- because the court wants to minimize the...