Determining Child Support

When minor or dependent children are involved in a divorce or paternity case, Florida law requires that child support be addressed. At The Law Office of Chaye R. Smith, PLLC, we can help you understand how child support works in Florida and what it might mean for your family.

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Child Support Basics

Florida Statutes §61.30 establishes Child Support Guidelines that serve as the starting point for calculating support obligations. These calculations typically consider:

• Monthly income from all sources for both parents

• Taxes paid by each parent

• Cost of parents' medical insurance

• Cost of children's medical insurance

• Number of overnight stays children have with each parent

 

What Child Support Covers

Standard child support typically covers a child's basic necessities:

• Housing

• Food

• Clothing

• Transportation

• Entertainment

• Children's medical insurance

• Special needs

 

What's Not Usually Covered

Many expenses fall outside standard child support and require separate discussion:

• Private school tuition

• Medical expenses not covered by insurance

• Tutoring and private lessons

• Therapy services

• Extracurricular activities

• Cars

• Cultural celebrations (quinceañeras, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs)

• Religious education

 

As your legal team, we can help you address these additional expenses in your settlement agreement to prevent future disagreements.

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Duration of Child Support

Child support generally ends when a child:

• Reaches 18 years of age, or

• Graduates high school (if graduation occurs before age 19)

 

While Florida courts cannot order parents to pay expenses after a child turns 18, parents can mutually agree to cover costs like college education in their settlement agreement.

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Special Circumstances

Sometimes deviating from the standard guidelines makes sense, particularly when:

• A child has special needs

• A parent has unique circumstances making strict application of guidelines inequitable

 

Our office is ready to help you navigate these sometimes complex calculations and work toward arrangements that serve both your children's needs and your financial situation.