Many clients in Jacksonville, Forida are confused about child support and 50/50 custody, now known in Florida as timesharing. Many parents in Jacksonville believe that by having equal timesharing or 50/50 custody that they will not have to pay child support. This is not necessarily true. The amount of child support each parent is required to pay, is pre-determined by Florida law and in most cases, one parent pays child support to the other parent. A Jacksonville Child Support Lawyer can help review your case and ensure you are paying or receiving the correct amount of child support for your case.
How Does a Jacksonville Attorney Calculate Child Support?
Both parents are legally required to contribute to the support of the child. The amount is predetermined by the Florida Child Support Guidelines. Florida utilizes what is known as in “income shares model” to determine the amount of support. Child support is calculated by adding the monthly net incomes of both parties together. Based on the combined amount of both incomes, an amount of child support is already determined by law. Each parent’s income may be offset by childcare fees, health insurance costs paid for the child, and timesharing (the number of overnights each parent has with the child). So long as the child spends at least 73 nights with a parent, they will receive a child support credit for timesharing. In some situations, where a parent is paying extraordinary medical expenses or private school tuition, the court may also consider offsetting these expenses as well.
The elements outlined above determine how much child support each parent will be required to pay, thus even if the parents share equal custody, one parent may pay the other parent child support. Generally speaking, the parent with primary timesharing or child custody is often the parent who is awarded child support because the child resides with that parent the majority of the time. The custodial parent’s contribution to child support is generally viewed as the costs that parent pays for daily support, such as housing, food, clothing, and other daily care to the child. Essentially, child support can also be used to cover the costs of housing, rent, food, clothing, and any other expense that helps the custodial parent support the child.
Can a Jacksonville Child Support Attorney Help You Reduce or Not Pay Child Support?
In an equal timesharing visitation plan, it is possible to pay no child support, but it is rare. In order for this to happen, both parties must split 50/50 timesharing, have the same income, and have the same resources. In this situation, both parents would also equally divide the cost of healthcare and childcare costs. Most times, one parent makes more than the other parent, which makes a no child support situation a rare occurrence. A Florida child support attorney will assist you with your case to determine whether child support should be increased or decreased in your case.
Talk to a Jacksonville Family Attorney
If you need help obtaining child support or a review of your case to determine if you are paying too much child support, contact a Jacksonville Child Support Lawyer online or call us at 904-685-1200 to speak with one of our dedicated lawyers who are ready to help you today.