CHILD SUPPORT LAWYER - PENSACOLA, FL
You’re a parent, and you love your child. Regardless of your current marital status, you want the best for your little ones. Unfortunately, going through a divorce can toss your family structure into limbo. Separation makes it challenging to maintain your lifestyle. It also adds undue stress to an already difficult time.
Here at MGM Law, P.A., we believe that one of the most important things you can do during your divorce is to ensure you’re receiving or paying fair child support payments. Because child support makes it easier to provide for your kids, it limits the stress and difficulty your little ones will experience.
If you're confused about child support payments or are unsure where to start, contact Mary McDaniel - Pensacola child support attorney.
Why Child Support Matters During Your Divorce Settlement
As a parent, you’re obligated to provide financial support for your child until he or she turns 18. This fundamental assumption underlies much of family law, including divorce settlements and child custody. Even if you were an unmarried parent when your child was born, you’re still financially responsible for your child.
If you have children and are getting divorced, you’re probably worried about receiving enough child support or paying too much child support. You are not alone in this. Here at MGM Law, we can help you identify the correct amount of child support. Today, child support is a vested right of the child. Despite this, though, it can be a significant expense.
Our team at MGM Law, P.A., can help you understand the factors that go into making a child support determination. While Florida Statute Section 61.13 governs the amount of child support a party will pay, numerous elements contribute to the calculation. We can help you work through the process.
How Does the State of Florida Determine Child Support Payments?
Child support is a complex field. Today, Florida considers numerous factors when determining child support. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:
- The income of both parents;
- The amount of timesharing each parent enjoys; and
- The child's health care costs, and any associated childcare costs.
Income considered can include overtime, regularly recurring gifts from friends or family, regularly received interest payments or dividends, and pension and disability payments. The courts may also consider additional factors that affect the calculations.
For example: if one parent is unemployed or underemployed, the court will impute income to that parent, since they presume the person needs a job and income to survive. Child support payments are subject to enforcement, and a parent cannot avoid child support payments by voluntarily working fewer hours or by taking a lower-paying job.
Contact MGM Law and Secure a Skilled Child Support Attorney Today
Don’t walk through your child support order and divorce settlement alone. At MGM Law, P.A., we know how important child support payments are. We are here to assist with everything from payment determinations to child support enforcement.
If you are falling behind on your support obligation, we are here to help. These payments will not go away, and you cannot discharge them in bankruptcy. Fortunately, you may be eligible for a modification of your child support obligation. We can help you petition the court for modification of your child support payments.
Ready to secure the rights of your family? Contact our Pensacola office to speak with Pensacola family law attorney Mary McDaniel. Call 850-450-1755 or use our convenient online form.