Does getting married affect child support in Florida?
Does getting married affect child support in Florida?
The Florida Child Support Guidelines were established by the Florida legislature and are used by courts to determine child support. Based on the Income Shares Model, each parent must provide for the child’s financial support under the rules.
According to the model, a child should be given the same amount of each parent’s income as they would have if their parents had continued to live together as a married couple. The money is subsequently split between the two parents according to their incomes.
The overall amount of child support will consider additional elements, such as the cost of the child’s health insurance, daycare, and the number of overnight shifts the kids spend with each parent.
How Is Child Support Awarded?
The court takes decisions regarding child custody and supports exceptionally seriously, so the judge weighs several crucial variables to decide what constitutes a reasonable level of support.
These factors include:
- The child’s daily needs
- The custody arrangement
- Medical needs
- Education costs
Based on the elements above, the number of children, and the combined net income of both parents, the judge determines a primary child support obligation.
Essentially, this is the expected monthly cost per parent for their children.
If unexpected costs arise after the judge establishes the initial agreement, the court may differ from the calculated sum.
Does getting married affects child support?
The child support assessment may consider the new spouse’s income. A custodial mother may have more money to put toward her children’s needs if she remarries a wealthy guy, for instance.
No matter how much money the non-custodial parent’s new spouse makes, the courts won’t raise the amount of child support the parent must pay.
When the stepfather contributes to family expenses, a judge may rule that the mother can support the kid more from her resources.
