How Much Can You Expect for Child Support?

Desmond Hatchet, a 33-year-old man from Knoxville Tennessee, has 30 children with 11 different women.

Desmond earns minimum wage. The state takes half of his paycheck every month for child support payments. This is split amongst his children’s mothers. However, this does not amount to much, with some of the moms receiving as little as $1.49 per month. Compared to this fiasco, figuring out your child support should be fairly uncomplicated.

When contemplating divorce, an important question you should consider is, “How will the divorce affect my ability to provide for my children’s needs?”

In Florida, the law requires both parents to provide support for their minor children. This support is intended to insure the child is provided with basic needs such as food and clothing.

Child support is also intended to create equalization between the money each parent has available to provide for their children. In this way, the law limits the gap in lifestyles between each of the parent’s homes.

To determine the actual sum of child support, Florida law provides a formula to which the court refers as a basis for its calculations. According to the child support guidelines, support is calculated based on the income of both parents and takes into account each parent’s net income.

• Income. This includes salary, bonuses, disability benefits, workers compensation, pension, royalties and any other source of income.
• Expenses. The court subtracts certain specific expenses, such as health insurance and day care, from the parent’s income before the final calculation of child support is made.

Additionally, the court takes into account the number of nights spent in each parent’s home and, in case of a 20 percent difference, uses this information to decide which parent pays child support and how much is paid. The court may also take into account unique situations and reduce or increase child support accordingly.

Since the amount of child support can affect you and your child’s standard of living till they are 18 (22 for college students), it is important to have a qualified, experienced child support attorney guide you through the nuances of child support negotiations.