When it comes to the support of children, there are very strict laws and guidelines to follow in Florida dissolution of marriage proceedings. Child support is meant to assist a parent in covering expenses that are typical in raising a family. These expenses include things such as rent/mortgage, gas and car payments, utilities, food, and clothing. However, despite the fact that child support is intended to help with these expenses, the dollar amount of these expenses are not figured into the determination of the amount of child support.
No matter what a parent thinks they should be paid or how much the other parent thinks they should pay, the amount of child support paid in Florida is based on Statutory guidelines and a calculation. The main two criteria are the income of each parent and the percentage of overnights each parent spends with the child/children in a year. If a child spends more than 20% of the time with the parent paying child support, the amount of that support could be reduced or it could be eliminated altogether, depending on the financial circumstances of both of the parents.
