A new statute has been enacted by the Florida Legislature making significant changes to child support in Florida. Florida.
The two most significant changes are addressed below.
Beginning on October 1st 2010 a child support order shall list the date the support will self-terminate. Normally, that date would be the 18th birthday of the child (or 19 if still in high school). If there are multiple children, the order must contain an amount for each child and a schedule of dates showing when the support for each child terminates. As a result parents will not be required to return to court when an older child becomes an adult to reset the amount for the younger child(ren).
The second critical change concerns adjustments/reductions in support afforded the non custodial parent who regularly exercises timesharing/visitation with his/her children. Under the old law the non custodial parent had to have the children for 146 overnight visitations before that parent would be entitled to a reduction in child support. Under the new law the trigger point changes from 146 overnights to 73 overnights. Because most non-custodial parents enjoy at least 73 overnights of parenting time - most situations will qualify for the alternate support calculation. That alternate calculation is called "Substantial Time Sharing."
The foregoing is just a summary of the new law of child support. If you are going through a divorce or contemplating divorce or separation and require child support or are concerned about being assessed a child support obligation you should consult with an experienced Pembroke Pines family lawyer for advice on how best to ensure that your rights are protected in the Divorce process. Steven Friedman has been counseling divorcing parents in child support issues for more than thirty years. Please contact Mr. Friedman online or call us at 954-385-7282 to set up a free initial consultation.