There are a number of factors, which will be considered before a final amount is set. The most important guideline in Florida is that the state mandates child support to be in the best interest of the child, not the best interest of the parent. In other words, parents may not always be happy with how the court rules and may need to make some sacrifices in their own lifestyle to make sure their child/children are properly taken care of.
After taking into account how many minor and special need children are involved, one of the most important factors, in setting child support, is the number of overnights a child will have at each parent’s house. Spending a complete day with your child does not count as an overnight; the child must spend the entire night for it to count. Other factors to be considered will be what are typical expenses incurred by each parent in caring for the child, what is the income and earning potential of each parent, how much is each parent presently contributing to the care of the child, and if there are any special needs that are on-going such as health or educational issues.
Before taking into consideration the factors of each individual case, Florida law has developed a Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, which is a chart showing the minimum support payment a parent is required to make. It is at this point where Attorney Gisondo will be most helpful as there will likely be other factors toward setting the child support amount and he will know how to proceed and which factors can be used. He will be able to file a Motion to Deviate from Child Support Guidelines, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Court Law Form 12.943 which is required if either parent wishes to deviate from the state child support guidelines. A computer program has been developed which will, given all the pertinent information, figure the amount to be awarded at mediation or by the judge.
