Saint Lucie County Legal Issues Blog

Children can have drastically different needs and, for this reason, the child support orders that Florida courts issue can look very different. In general, though, a child support order may terminate a parent's requirement to pay when the child reaches the age of 18 or 19 and graduates from high school. However, individuals should look at their own child support orders for information regarding their particular rights and obligations.

For example, in some cases, a parent may be required to pay child support long after their child has reached the age of majority. This type of child support order may be issued to help a child with special needs maintain their livelihood if they are unable to do so on their own as an adult. Additionally, parents may agree to continue supporting their child after they graduate from high school if they wish to help their child pay for college or post-graduation expenses.

Raising a child in 2018 can be an expensive undertaking. Even for parents who choose to send their kids to public schools and who earn steady incomes, ensuring that children have everything they need to thrive can be financially challenging. When a Florida child is the recipient of child support payments from one of their parents, there may be questions regarding what that money may be used for.

Child support may be used for many child-rearing purposes. However, it is important that readers consult with their own child support orders and agreements to be aware of the parameters that may apply in their specific cases. Their family law attorneys can help them understand the permissible uses of child support that attach to their unique cases.

Parental interference, often referred to as parenting time interference, is a serious legal issue that can impact the relationships parents have with their children when custody orders and agreements are in place. Florida parents who experience disruptions in their parenting time with their kids due to the actions of their former partners may be the victims of parenting time interference.

Parenting time interference happens when a parent takes direct or indirect action to deprive their co-parent of time with their kids. It may occur if a parent fails to drop their child off for scheduled custody with their other parent or it may occur if a parent blocks the other from contacting their children through telephone or email. What readers of this post should understand is that parenting time interference is a potentially punishable offense and parents who are the victims of it may have legal options to enforce their parental rights.

Computing child support in Florida can seem like a difficult process. It can, in fact, require a significant amount of information and calculation. The first step in computing child support under the Florida guidelines is to add up the total amount of income that the child's parents earn.

Earnings may come from a number of different sources. Parents should be aware that their wages, benefits, royalties, and other sources of income will all be factored into the total amount of money that they bring home in a given year. After the parents' collective income is added up, the court will calculate each of the parents' individual income totals, so their proportion of child support can be determined.