Legal Question in Family Law in Florida
Child support
Can I dispute the amount of the child support, if I feel it is to high of a amount? Should I get a lawyer to help me out? What advise do you have for me?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Child support
There are guidelines in Florida concerning the amounts to be paid. You should review these in relation to your income, etc. to see what the general amount would be. You could then attempt to argue for deviations from the amounts for certain reasons.
Re: Child support
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Yes, you can dispute the amounts but there is not generally a good chance to prevail. Child support in Florida is set according the the statutory guidelines as found in Chapter 63 of the Florida Statutes.
The court may deviate from the guidelines if there is a written finding in the court record that the guidelines would be inappropriate in that particular case. The finding must include the amount of support that would have been required under the guidelines and reason why the order varies. You would have a better chance of success with an attorney but that does not guarantee that a court will find in your favor.
For more information and a child support worksheet see: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/childsupport/guidlines.html
Scott R. Jay, Esq.