How do I get my child support increased in Florida
How do I get my child support increased in Florida?
In some situations, agreed upon or assigned Child Support agreements may need alteration. As a matter of fact, child support alteration is a common concern that many people face after divorce as they try to navigate life as single parents.
In Florida, a divorce court will grant a child support order stating what the parents must do to sufficiently support and care for their children, one the parents separate. This court order clearly states the financial duties each parent must fulfill their children’s accommodation, food, learning, health care support, and other miscellaneous expenses.
In order to alter child support agreements, you must first show a significant change of circumstances since the Final Judgment of Dissolution of Marriage was pronounced or the last entry from the Florida Family Court order about your child support plans.
Child Support Change Guidelines in Florida
There are many complicated situations under which the obligated child support plan might change. The provider of child support and the receiver both have legal rights to petition the court for a change resulting from a significant shift in financial circumstances or as per the child’s needs.
For the court to alter child support arrangements, the shift in circumstances necessitating the potential child support change must be significant and involuntary in nature. In simpler terms, it must be out of the control of the parties.
In Florida, the following situations may warrant filing a supplemental petition in court for the alteration of the child support agreement:
- A substantial change in economic income or financial strength of either party. This may be because of involuntary job loss, loss of financial income, long-term medical issues, or hospitalization.
- Health insurance becomes accessible, and the cost of insurance is settled.
- The child attains the age of majority and can move away or decrease in the child’s care expenses. This may happen when a child is older, and a service like the daycare is no longer needed.
- An increase in the income for either party may offset the child support equation, thus reducing the child support mandate.
For the courts in the Florida Family Law division to establish whether a significant change in financial circumstances has taken place and necessitates a change, the amount recommended for the partner under the Child Support Guidelines has to be at least a 15% difference from the amount previously prayed for in court.
Perhaps due to the doctrine of putting the interests of children first, courts in the family law division in Florida have not been hesitant to modify child support arrangements. Parents who want the court to alter child support plans are required to file in courts a supplemental petition for the alteration of child support and court summons. This is the standard procedure used in Florida for modification suits.
If your child support plan requires changing due to a shift in life circumstances, look for the help of a Florida family law advocate to explain the factors above in a manner most favorable to your situation.
Making changes to child support arrangements is not as easy or as speedy as many parents might want or expect. In order to fully understand the circumstances leading to modifying child support, contact us now to learn more about the factors used in Florida to determine Child Support arrangements.