Child Support

Fort Lauderdale Child Support Attorney

Child support in Florida is determined by a statutory formula. While the calculation is complex, it's fairly easy for your lawyer to plug some numbers into a computer and give you an estimate of what your child support amount will be. At the Law Offices of Patric L. Jones in Fort Lauderdale, we offer a free initial consultation by phone or in person to answer your questions about child support.

Non-custodial parents are required to pay child support. The amount of child support is calculated differently in different states, and in Florida, unlike many states, child support is not based on a percentage of your income. Instead, Florida's calculation is based on four factors:

• You and the other parent’s combined income
• The number of children you have together
• Day care expenses
• Any special medical needs your child(ren) may have

Florida may not reduce your payments if you are also paying child support for other children, unless the other child suppport is court ordered. It generally will not consider any expenses you have, such as mortgage or car payments. Once child support has been determined according to the formula, there is very little room for negotiation.

In many cases, child support payments are not made directly to your child’s custodial parent. Instead, they may be made to the court or state depository, which will pay the custodial parent. Child support payments may be taken directly from your pay through an income deduction order. Payments made through the state depository will be monitored. If your child support is not paid on time or at all—for example, should you fail to notify the state that you have changed jobs—you could face consequences including losing your driver’s license, fines, or even jail time.

Modification of child support orders

If circumstances change substantially over time, it may be possible to raise or lower the amount of child support you are required to pay.

For example, child support payments can be increased or decreased if there is a significant change in your income of that of the custodial parent. If you lose your job and can't pay as much child support as you did before, it's important to go to court as soon as possible to petition the court for a recalculation of your payments. If you simply stop paying child support, your spouse could file a contempt motion with the family court and you could be jailed.

Free consultation with a lawyer by phone or in person: To discuss your questions about child support with attorney Patric L. Jones, call 954-779-1994 or contact our law firm by e-mail. We serve clients throughout Broward County, Florida, from our office in Fort Lauderdale and our satellite office in Coral Springs.