Florida Child Support
How Do I File For Child Support in FL?
If you are a parent or caregiver to a child in need of support, then you are welcomed to apply for child support services through Florida’s Child Support Program. Caregivers are encouraged to apply for these services in-person at their local child support office, over the phone or online. Applicants who apply over the phone will be mailed an application. Parents who apply online have 30 days to complete the forms. Once these crucial forms are submitted to the child support agency, a caseworker will be assigned to your case. This worker will contact your in the event more information is needed to proceed with your case. Download Forms.
How is Child Support Calculated in FL?
Florida’s child support guidelines are standards that will calculate a parent’s basic obligation. To calculate the amount of support you’ll owe, you need to consider the income of both parents, the child’s health care and childcare needs and the standard needs of the youngster.
How to claim and pay child support in Florida?
Child support payments are accepted by mail, online, or in-person. Parents can pay online by credit card or electronic check, in-person with cash or by mail. Parents receiving payments have the option of signing up for either direct deposit to a bank account or direct deposit onto a state-issued smiONE Visa Prepaid Card. Florida law requires payments to be distributed electronically. For more information about payments, contact the Florida State Disbursement Unit at 1-877-769-0251.
Child Support Performance Stats for Florida
According to data collected in 2013, an overwhelming 46 percent of families in Florida are not receiving their currently owed child support payments. In that year, only about six percent of arrearages were collected.
Statistics for Regular On-Time Payments Collection
Other Incentive Performance Measures
| Performance Measures | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statewide Paternity Establishment (%) | 96.64 | 90.54 | 88.36 | 91.05 | 91.32 |
| IV-D Paternity Establishment (%) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Support Order Establishment (%) | 73.7 | 80.26 | 81.36 | 82.84 | 82.9 |
| Cost-Effectiveness ($) | 5.88 | 6.33 | 5.75 | 5.89 | 6.15 |
Total Number of Children in the Child Support Program
Total Distributed Collections and Total Administrative Expenditures ($ Millions)
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Distributed Collections ($) | 1466.27 | 1488.75 | 1450.64 | 1443.75 | 1477.35 |
| Total Distributed to Families ($) | 1423.89 | 1442.85 | 1415.41 | 1408.54 | 1444.28 |
| Total Administrative Expenditures ($) | 270.55 | 254.97 | 275.45 | 268.32 | 262.75 |
Average Collections per Case with Collections
Can child support be paid off early in Florida?
It is possible to pay off support obligations early, but it’s critical to ensure your documentation for making payments is cleared and approved by the support office in charge of your case. Without proof, it’s possible you may be accused of missing payments.
What Will happen if You fall Behind Florida Child Support Payment?
- Garnishment of wages
- Reporting to credit agencies
- Denial or suspension of driver’s license
- Lien on property
- Criminal contempt of court charges
- Possible jail time
Can you get alimony and support at the same time?
Parents going through a divorce in Florida may receive both alimony and support payments from their former spouse when the other spouse was the primary bread maker in the family unit.
Can you stop the support payments?
There are a number of circumstances that will cause your obligation to end, but you should never stop making payments until your obligation has ended, the order has been terminated and all outstanding debts have been paid.
Child Support and Taxes
Tax time is stressful for many individuals, but parents going through separation are faced with additional issues. Parents may wonder whether support payments will impact their taxes, and they are also forced to decide which parent will claim the child as a dependent for tax purposes. Only one parent will be afforded this tax deduction.
Can child support payments be claimed on taxes in Florida?
Support payments cannot be claimed on taxes by either parent. You shouldn’t attempt to deduct these payments or claim them as a form of income.
How does my child support affect my taxes in Florida?
Support payments have absolutely no impact whatsoever on income taxes. Neither the paying nor receiving parent should claim these payments on their tax returns.
Can child support be taken pre-tax?
When wage garnishment is in effect, payments are still collected after income tax has already been applied to the money.
Can the support Take my federal tax return in Florida?
If a parent falls behind on their support obligation, then all or a portion of their federal tax income return will be sent directly to the Child Support Program.
Paternity Establishment
The state of Florida strongly believes that every child deserves to have a legal father. The state’s Child Support Program provides services that can help parents establish paternity. This important step is crucial in conferring certain rights and benefits to the mother, father, and child. During a marriage, a child’s legal father is assumed to be the husband. If the parents are not married, then steps must be taken to establish a legal father.
How do you establish paternity in Florida?
Unmarried parents can voluntarily acknowledge paternity by filing the appropriate paperwork with the Florida Health Department. Paternity may also be established through a legal court order after a paternity hearing.
What rights does a father have if not on birth certificate in FL?
A father who is not listed on the birth certificate will not have any rights to the child until paternity is established. This means he will not have any rights to visitation or custody hearings.
Can a mother refuse me paternity test?
When paternity is contested, potential fathers have a right to request genetic testing to confirm whether or not they are the child’s biological father. If the mother is refusing to allow a paternity test, then seeking out a court hearing may be the father’s best option.
How to establish paternity if the father is deceased?
It may be possible to establish paternity through genetic testing even after the father has passed away. Family members may be able to provide a DNA sample for the courts.
Can a father get a paternity test without the mother?
It is necessary for fathers to get the consent of the child’s mother or other legal guardians before conducting paternity testing. If consent isn’t given, then the results of the test will not hold up in court. The father should instead pursue a paternity hearing through the courts.
How long does a father have to establish paternity in Florida?
In Florida, fathers must establish paternity before the child reaches their 18th birthday.
Support order establishment
Once paternity is established, Florida courts recognize that each parent has an obligation and responsibility to financially provide for the child’s needs. Courts will order the parent who does not have primary custody of the child to pay a certain amount of money to the custodial parent to help cover the child’s basic expenses and needs.
State Child Support orders
The amount of obligation is based on Florida’s state guidelines, and this amount includes the cost of the child’s medical insurance plan. Each parent will be expected to cover a portion of these expenses, but the non-custodial parent will be ordered to make direct payments to the support agency. The agency will then distribute the funds to the other parent.
Can Florida child support be modified?
Obligation amounts are based on the income of both parents and the needs of the child, so the overall payment amount can only be modified under certain circumstances.
How do I file for a modification of child support?
To file for a modification request, parents will need to contact the Child Support Program. They can be reached over the phone at 850-488-5437 or in-person at your local Child Support Office.
Can a support order appealed?
Child support orders may be appealed when trial courts have made an error in calculating support orders or have incorrectly established paternity.
Do you need a lawyer to modify the Florida child support and when can you do this?
It may not be necessary to hire a lawyer when both parents agree on a modification amount. If the parents are in conflict over the modification, then the process can be time-consuming and stressful. In these situations, it is advised that you enlist the help of an attorney.
Modification requests can be made when your order hasn’t been changed or reviewed in the last three years or there has been a significant change in either the parent’s life or the child’s needs.
Child support Enforcement
How long does the support enforcement take?
Enforcement of an existing child support order could take anywhere from four to six months to begin.
What to do when the support is not paid in FL?
The first thing you should do is contact your local child support office to report you aren’t getting your payments. The agency will begin to initiate enforcement measures where appropriate.
What Happens if I’m not paying the FL Child support?
When you aren’t making payments, the support agency may begin to initiate a number of different enforcement measures against you.
How much overdue child support payment can be considered a felony?
Overdue child support that hasn’t been paid in two years or exceeds $10,000 is a felony violation.
Can the support debt be forgiven?
The Florida child support law takes child support obligations very seriously, so debt forgiveness is very rare.
Support Order Termination
How do I stop a support order?
If you believe your order can be legally terminated, then you need to apply for a modification request through the support agency.
When Can I Apply for the Support Termination?
Parents can apply for the support termination when the child is 18-years-old has graduated from high school.
Can the custodial parent close a support case?
If the custodial parent is receiving state assistance, then they can’t close their case. Otherwise, they may file a request for their case to be closed.
When Can I Stop Paying the FL Child Support?
Parents can stop making payments when their obligation has ended and all outstanding debts have been paid.
The legal age to stop paying is 18-years-old in Florida, but parents may be obliged to continue supporting the child until they graduate from high school.
Florida hearing rights
In Florida, mothers, fathers, and children all have a right to seek a paternity hearing in court when the child doesn’t have a legal father. Legal parents have the right to seek hearings regarding custody, visitation and child support.
Florida Child Support Guidelines & Laws
Florida guidelines utilize the income shares model. This means children are entitled to receive the same level of support they would have received had the parents remained together. Guidelines also consider the number of children in need of support, the child’s healthcare needs and childcare costs.
Florida Child Support Coverage
What is the support meant to cover in Florida?
Monthly payments are designed to cover the standard needs of each child.
Does the Support Cover Medical Care Expenses?
Florida law requires parents to provide a medical insurance plan for the child’s needs, and the parents are expected to share the costs.
What if Both Parents are working, will the Support Cover child care services?
Florida courts will consider childcare expenses when calculating a reasonable obligation amount.
Are Car Maintenance Costs Covered by the Support?
Car maintenance expenses would not be covered by the support.
What is Considered Basic Entertainment for Child Support?
Basic entertainment involves age-appropriate activities geared for the child’s best interests.
Are School and College expenses Covered by the Support in Florida?
Florida state does not require a parent to financially assist the child through college.
A child’s basic educational needs through school will be covered by support payments.
Are Extracurricular Activities covered by Support?
Parents should come to an agreement about sharing the costs of extracurricular activities, but the basic obligation likely won’t cover this additional expense.
Florida Child Support Offices
| Institution name | Physical address | Email address | Phone number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Enforcement | 5050 West Tennessee Street, Tallahassee, | ChildSupportQuestions@floridarevenue.com | 850-488-KIDS(5437) | http://floridarevenue.com |
County Child Support Offices in FL
| County name | Institution name | Physical address | Email address | Phone number | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alachua County | Alachua County, FL Gainesville Child Support and Social Service Office | 5719 N.W. 13th St., Gainesville, FL 32653 | N/A | 1(850) 488-5437 | http://floridarevenue.com/childsupport/contact/Pages/default.aspx |
| Baker County | Columbia County, FL Lake City Child Support and Social Service Office | 1415 US Highway 90 W., Suite 110, Lake City, FL 32055 | N/A | 1(850) 488-5437 | http://floridarevenue.com/childsupport/contact/Pages/default.aspx |
| Bay County | Bay County, FL Panama City Child Support and Social Service Office | 3009 Highway 77 Suite A, Panama City, FL 32405 | N/A | 1(850) 488-5437 | http://floridarevenue.com/childsupport/contact/Pages/default.aspx |