Child Support in Jacksonville Florida

Jacksonville FL Child Support Lawyers

Child support payments are traditionally paid by the non-custodial parent to the custodial parent in cases of divorce, so to examine child support in the state of Florida you first have to take a look at the way the state views child custody. The Sunshine State now uses the term “dissolution of marriage” rather than divorce, and this distinction coupled with the fact that Florida is a no-fault divorce state has rather broad implications. The idea behind this is to try to eliminate or at least mitigate blame, finger pointing, and acrimony and encourage a spirit of cooperatively moving forward, for the good of the formerly married couple and for the good of their children.

This spirit is applied to what is traditionally known as child custody as well. Rather than adopting a rigid custody/visitation paradigm that suggests that the non-custodial parent is not qualified or “worthy” of custody, the state of Florida recognizes that both children and parents are best served by shared parental responsibility. This includes a schedule of residential care along with shared responsibility for making decisions in behalf of the child or children involved. Exactly how the details are arranged is something that is left in the hands of the parents, and in most instances they are able to work together to devise a shared parenting plan that they both feel comfortable with.

That having been established, the calculation of child support in the state of Florida is based on what is called the Income Shares Model that is being used in many states. This model proceeds from the standpoint that each parent is equally responsible for the financial responsibilities of parenthood. However, this responsibility is weighted based on the income of each parent relative to their total combined income. For example, consider a case where child support was awarded for a single child. Let’s say the state guidelines call for $400 per month to care for that child, and the father is the individual paying child support in this instance. If he makes $3000 per month, and the mother earns $1,200 per month, the total combined income of the parents is $4,200 each month. The father earns 71% of that figure, so he would have to pay 71% of the $400 it takes to support the child, which amounts to $284 per month. It is important to note that if this financial dynamic should change over time, the amount of child support that is required can be modified either voluntarily or by the order of the court.

If you would like to learn more about child support, simply contact an experienced Jacksonville FL divorce attorney to arrange for a free consultation.