What Is Average Child Support In Florida?
All parents in Florida are required to financially support their children until they are no longer minors. In general this is when the child turns 18 or graduates from high school if before the age of 19, whichever is later. After or during a divorce, a judge may order one parent to pay child support to their former or current spouse. Usually, the non-custodial parent makes support payments to the custodial parent, although this may vary in certain cases. After hearing that they have to pay child support, the first question many people ask is how much they will have to pay.
The amount of child support is determined on a case-by-case basis. No one can determine how much child support you may have to pay without first fully evaluating the facts of your case. Still, there are some guidelines you can follow to estimate how much you may have to pay.
Amounts of Child Support in Florida
When determining a child support amount, the courts will consider the net income of each parent. Net income, also sometimes called “take home pay” is a person’s remaining income once certain deductions, such as taxes and retirement savings, are deducted.
After calculating the combined net income of both parents, the amount is compared to a chart outlined in Florida law. The chart shows the amount of child support that should be paid depending on the number of children being supported. For example, if the combined net income of the parents is $3,600 per month and the couple has one child together, the amount of child support is $757. If the same couple has two children, the amount of required support increases to $1,179. When a couple has three children together, the amount of support rises to $1,475.
Extenuating Circumstances
When the income of a parent paying child support is not enough to pay the amount indicated on the chart, the amount to be paid is determined on a case-by-case basis. If child support is requested to be modified after the final judgment, the court will also likely increase the amount of child support to be paid when the parent paying earns a higher income or decrease if the parent paying earns a lower income.
In the event that the combined net monthly income of the parents is greater than $10,000 per month, any excess over that amount is multiplied by a percentage. The percentage used to determine the amount of support depends on the number of children the couple has together. For example, the percentage used for one child is five percent, while for two children the percentage is 7.5 percent.
Even once the amount to pay is determined, the court has the authority to change the amount, depending on a number of factors. These are as follows:
- Seasonal changes to a parent’s income
- Any independent income the child earns
- Psychological and medical needs of the child
- Special needs required to accommodate a child’s disability
- The age of the child
Our Family Lawyers in Tampa Can Help with Child Support Issues
If you are getting a divorce and have children, or if you are unmarried parents, you will have to resolve child support issues. At All Family Law Group, P.A., our Tampa family lawyers can help with these terms and will advise on the amount you may have to pay, or that you may receive. Call us now at 813-672-1900 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. Se habla Español.
Sources:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0000-0099/0061/0061.html
flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2012/61.30
