Fair And Reasonable Child Support

If you are a parent undergoing a divorce or involved in a paternity action, it is likely you are concerned with the amount of child support payments you will receive or have to pay. This is a concern faced by residential and nonresidential parents alike. As a parent, you want to ensure the needs of your children are met.

My law practice, Jodie Bassichis, P.A, can assist you in establishing a child support order that provides adequately for your children and is consistent with the ever-evolving Florida Statutes.

How Is Child Support Calculated?

Child support is designed to provide for the needs of the children. The amount is statutory and is determined by specific Florida child support guidelines, which takes into account the combined income of the parents, the number of children, overnight time-sharing, day care and aftercare expenses, medical care, health insurance expenses and special needs of children such as medical or educational services. I am familiar with child support issues in both divorce actions and paternity cases.

The Role Of An Attorney In Child Support

My main job is to make sure the Department of Revenue has accurate information to plug into the statutory formula. When a parent is self-employed or between jobs, it may be necessary to impute income or impute their earning capacity based on work history or a vocational evaluation. I have work with the top CPAs (accountants) in these situations.

Many of my cases involve high earners who are at the upper end or over the amount of the child support grid. In these cases, child support may be negotiated to deviate from the formula to reflect the actual needs and accustomed lifestyle of the child.

If a support order is already in effect, and there has been a substantial change of circumstances such as income changes, either parent has a right to file for a modification of child support to increase or decrease the amount. I represent parents in modification or enforcement of child support actions regularly.

Make Sure The Court Gets It Right

Child support is a source of friction between parents, especially when the recipient parent feels it is not sufficient to meet the needs of the child or when the paying parent feels it is too expensive and burdensome. To discuss your concerns about financial support and other facets of divorce or paternity, call my Hollywood law office at 954-627-1499 or email me to arrange a free consultation.