Miami family law attorney blog
Viewing entries in
Child Support
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
What defenses are available to a petition to modify child support? Certain defenses must be made in writing, which are called affirmative defenses. Failure to assert affirmative defenses in writing usually means they are waived. This was an issue in the case R.B. v. B.T., 2D21-747 (Fla. 2d DCA January 13, 2023).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
Can child support be non-modifiable in Florida? For example, if the parents agree child support cannot be less than a certain amount, but one parent loses a job or another parent begins earning significant income, can the child support amount be changed despite the parents’ agreement to keep it at a certain amount? This was an issue in the case Funderburk v. Funderburk, 2D21-2421 (Fla. 2d DCA January 6, 2023).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
A Florida Income Withholding Order can be entered to require that a parent pay support through the State Disbursement Unit. This provides a method for the State to monitor payments and to have payments involuntarily garnished from the parent’s paycheck to ensure it is received by the other parent. This type of order is required to be entered in a case involving child support unless the parents agree otherwise.
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
When a party appeals a Florida family law case, if the opposing party “confesses error”, the appeal is usually granted. This means the opposing party admits the appeal is correct and should be granted. Is the appellate court required to abide by a confession of error? This was an issue in the case Perez v. DOR, 1D22-798 (Fla. 1st DCA October 12, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Child Support
When a party is not happy with a Florida child support ruling, can that party appeal? The answer depends on many factors, but an appeal generally must show the court misapplied the law. When reviewing a child support order, the appellate court will review whether competent, substantial evidence supports the decision. This was an issue in the case Duncan v. Franklin, 3D21-1068 (Fla. 3d DCA October 12, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Child Support
Administrative child support proceedings in Florida are handled without hearings unless a party requests one. All information about the case and proposed child support amounts are mailed to the parent requested to pay child support. If the parent agrees with the proposal, the order for support can be confirmed without the parties attending court. If the parent disagrees, he or she can request a hearing within certain deadlines. This was an issue in the case Pellegrino v. DOR, 2D21-2116 (Fla. 2d DCA November 3, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
When parties sign a settlement agreement in a Florida family law case and then ask the court to ratify the agreement by order, the parties are voluntarily asking the court to uphold an agreement they reached. What if a party feels there was a mistake in the agreement? Can that party file a motion to set aside the agreement and subsequent order of ratification? This was an issue in the case Gjokhila v. Seymour, 1D21-1613 (Fla. 1st DCA October 6, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Florida Family Law Procedure
When a parent owns a business and therefore has fluctuating income, how is this taken into account in calculating child support in Florida? Since net income is required in this calculation, consideration must be given to business expenses incurred. This was an issue in the case Brown v. Norwood, 5D21-385 (Fla. 5th DCA August 5, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
Are contingency fees allowed in Florida family law cases? Generally, no, but as with many rules, there are some exceptions. According to the Florida Rules of Professional Conduct, A lawyer cannot charge “any fee in a domestic relations matter, the payment or amount of which is contingent upon the securing of a divorce or upon the amount of alimony or support, or property settlement in lieu thereof.” This was an issue in the case Your Support Solution v. Ovalles, 3D21-1953 (Fla. 3d DCA July 27, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
If child support arrears are owed to a parent and the other parent later assumes majority time-sharing, can those arrears fully offset ongoing child support the parent may be ordered to pay? The answer depends on if there are “compelling equitable criteria and considerations justifying such set off,” according to Tinoco v. Lugo, 2D21-1130 (Fla. 2d DCA July 15, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
A parent who has the ability to earn a certain level of income who voluntarily takes a lower paying job may be at risk of having income imputed to him or her in calculating Florida child support. In addition to a parent’s work history and education level, a court analyzes job opportunities and salary levels in the community in which the parent lives. This was an issue in the case Sadlak v. Trujillo, 3D20-1575 (Fla. 3d DCA April 13, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
A parent who voluntarily quits a job or is fired for misconduct may be at risk of having income imputed to him or her when Florida child support is calculated. Imputation of income is a two step process that involves determining if a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed before imputing income. This was an issue in the case Oyebanji v. Collier, 1D21-1983 (Fla. 1st DCA April 6, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
Florida child support is calculated under guidelines using both parents’ net incomes (after taxes and certain statutory deductions) and include expenses such as daycare and health insurance premiums. These guidelines must be included with a final judgment, or an order for child support may be reversed on appeal. This was an issue in the case Dorvilien v. Verty, 4D21-1772 (Fla. 4th DCA March 23, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Custody and Florida Child Support
Once a Florida parenting plan has been entered, generally, a parent cannot move more than 50 miles from his or her current residence without a court order or the written permission of the other parent. This rule is likely in place to avoid the disruption to a time-sharing schedule that is sure to occur if a parent moves too far away. However, even moving within this mileage limit can disrupt the time-sharing schedule, and this may form a basis for modification of a parenting plan. This was an issue in the case Seith v. Seith, 4D21-556 (Fla. 4th DCA March 2, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
Is a parent required to pay private school tuition in addition to child support in Florida? While generally, there is no obligation to put children in private school, a parent may be required to pay private school tuition if certain findings are made by the court. This was an issue in the case Boulos v. Boulos, 3D21-476 (Fla. 3d DCA February 9, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
When a party wins an appeal in a Florida family law case, what happens next? The appellate court usually issues instructions to the trial court in its order. At that point, “the trial court’s role is ‘purely ministerial, and its function is limited to obeying the appellate court’s order or decree.’” J.M. v. A.J.D., 3D20-1118 (Fla. 3d DCA January 12, 2022) (citing Torres v. Jones, 652 So. 2d 893, 894 (Fla. 3d DCA 1995)).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
When a party lives outside of Florida, and there is a request to impute income to that party for purposes of calculating child support, will the court use Florida salary standards or the salary standards of the state in which the party actually lives? This was an issue in the case Gillespie v. Holdsworth, 2D20-3429 (Fla. 2d DCA January 19, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
Florida child support guidelines can include child care expenses necessary to support a parent’s work hours. The guidelines apportion to each parent their share of responsibility for child care payments, in addition to the base support amount. When calculating support for more than one child, it is necessary to include a schedule of reduction of child support once the oldest child is no longer eligible for support. In doing so, it is necessary to remove from the calculation current child care obligations. This was an issue in the case J.T.K. v. Dept. of Revenue, 2D20-2238 (Fla. 2d DCA January 19, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
When a couple divorces, it can be expected that one or both may end up in a new relationship. How does a new relationship, especially one in which a former spouse and a new partner are living together, affect Florida child support payments? This was an issue in the case Sunderwirth v. Sunderwirth, 2D20-2567 (Fla. 2d DCA January 5, 2022).
Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in Florida Child Support
A parent who voluntarily quits a job may be faced with imputation of income in a Florida child support case. Imputation means a court treats a parent as if he or she were making a certain level of income even if that parent is earning less. It is seemingly meant to encourage parents to maintain their historic earning levels so that children receive the full amount of support to which they are entitled. Imputation was an issue in the case Gillespie v. Minning, 2D20-3430 (Fla. 2d DCA November 3, 2021).
