Child support is in place to help the custodial spouse pay for the needs of a child. Support and child custody are two issues you are most likely to contest in a divorce proceeding. Ideally, each spouse has the best interests of the children at heart and can eventually reach an agreement.
When working through child support issues, the courts consider a variety of important factors including:
The New Port Richey support attorney at Dale L. Bernstein, Chartered Law Office can help ensure you get a fair settlement. With nearly 40 years of experience, we know how to handle common snags in the child support process.
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Florida law states that unless both spouses agree otherwise, child support payments will cease on the child’s 18th birthday. If there are many children, the amount of regular child support will decrease as each child reaches the age of 18. Both of these dates should be included when the order is finalized.
It is possible to extend child support past 18 in rare situations. The following scenarios are based on the age of the child when they graduate from high school:
If the child graduated from high school before the age of 18, his or her support will be terminated on their 18th birthday.
When a child graduates from high school after the age of eighteen but before the age of nineteen, support stops.
If a child is not ready to graduate from high school by the age of 19, payments would stop on his or her 18th birthday.
If a child has special needs, such as a mental or physical incapacity, Florida requires child care to continue past the age of 19. If a child becomes debilitated later, but before reaching the age of 18, you can still request a change of the order to delete the initial termination date.
In the state of Florida, there is no maximum child support since it is measured by the amount of children and parent’s salaries.
As life moves on for both former spouses, a lot can change. This can mean that one party wants to amend the child support arrangement. For the court to hear a petition to change child support payments, the petitioner must prove that there has been a substantial change in circumstances.
The court may amend child support payments if:
If you are looking to amend a child support order, you need an experienced New Port Richey child support lawyer on your side. At Dale L. Bernstein, Chartered Law Office, we will listen to your situation carefully and give you a realistic assessment of what you can expect.
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