The financial support of minor children is a statutory obligation belonging to both parents.

Child support is an obligation owed to the children of a relationship and cannot be waived by either parent. Upon a proper showing and based upon reason and justification, the court may deviate from the Child Support Guidelines.

The Florida Statutes contain child support guidelines that establish an amount of child support depending on the combined income of the parties and the number of children born of the relationship.

A party can get credit and reduce the amount of child support owed or increase the amount of child support received if he/she is spending money for the benefit of the child in other defined areas. The most common types of credits given are for health insurance payments and day care expenses.

If you have children from another relationship who are under 18 years of age, you may be entitled to a reduction in your monthly child support obligation.

It should be noted that child support does not have to end at age 18. Child support may continue until age 19 as long as the child will complete high school by the child’s 19th birthday. Further, if the child has a disability which will effect his/her earning ability into the future, past majority, then child support may continue into the child’s adult life.

Your attorney can help you to evaluate your specific situation and determine the approximate amount of child support.

Related Issues:
Parental Responsibility
Custody/Substantial Time Sharing
Visitation/Time Sharing

Related proceedings:
Divorce
Paternity
Modification
Enforcement
Contempt

Every case and situation is unique. Your attorney will evaluate your individual situation and advise you how best to proceed regarding these and other issues. The above statements are made for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice. The Law Offices of Thomas J. Donnelly shall not bear responsibility for any actions taken based upon the above information. Seeking professional help for your legal problems and concerns is imperative.