If you were ordered to pay a specific amount of child support that you can no longer afford, our Gainesville family law lawyer can help you seek relief and temporarily or permanently adjust the amount of your weekly or monthly payments. Florida law takes supporting your child seriously and only allows modifications for specific, well-documented reasons.
At Bogin, Munns & Munns, our family law team will review your current support order and your current financial picture. We will help you document your need for relief while emphasizing your commitment to your child. Your child support obligation can also be modified for reasons other than purely financial. If you are struggling to meet your regular child support obligation, our law firm can help you explore your available options.
Acceptable Reasons to Modify Child Support in Gainesville
You cannot arbitrarily request a change in the amount of child support you pay without establishing a valid reason. A change to your income, health or other life circumstances might give you grounds to request a change. The state will consider child support modifications in cases of:
- Retiring at retirement age
- Suffering from a life-changing injury
- Sudden loss of employment
- Suffering from a life-changing illness
- Your child becoming emancipated
- A change in the custody of your child
According to the Florida Department of Revenue, an existing child support order can only be modified if a qualifying change in circumstances exists. This can include:
- If your support order has been in place for fewer than three years, a substantial change means a modification of a minimum of 15%, but no less than $50
- If your support order has been in place for more than three years, a substantial change means a modification of a minimum of 10%, but no less than $25
It can be difficult to prove your circumstances merit a change in child support payments on your own. It can also be hard to understand how to navigate the court system and collect the documents that substantiate your case. Our team can help you gather and organize the documents that support your request.
Circumstances that Cannot Modify Your Child Support Obligation
Child support courts typically classify a modification request as a substantial, permanent, involuntary, or voluntary change. A voluntary change is one that the parent chooses. It typically disqualifies a parent from changing their child support amount.
The Department of Revenue considers all of the following changes in circumstances voluntary:
- Quitting a job
- Termination with cause
- Accepting a job with lower pay
- Criminal activity that leads to incarceration
The parent who receives child support may object to a modification that means they will receive a smaller payment. If that happens, we can help you prove your request is justified and within the parameters of the law. If your request is not being made for any of these reasons, we can help you prove it. We use employment and medical records to establish your qualifying financial or health care status.
To consult with an experienced child support modification lawyer serving Gainesville
(855) 780-9986
Do Not Resort to Self-Help to Change Your Child Support Obligation
If you are a non-custodial parent in Gainesville, and your child support order is paid out of your pocket versus being submitted to the other parent via a third party, you might be tempted to take it upon yourself to decrease the amount you pay. According to Florida Department of Revenue guidelines, doing so can be costly and can include:
- Loss of your driver’s license
- Liens on your personal property
- Seizure of your tax refunds
- Seizure of workers’ compensation benefits
- Garnishments of your paycheck
- Garnishment of your bank accounts
If delinquent payments are reported to monitoring agencies, your credit score could also be negatively impacted. Our Bogin, Munns & Munns child support modification lawyer can help you avoid these damaging consequences by helping you file for modification in the appropriate manner.
How Our Family Law Team Can Help
Our family law team helps non-custodial parents build strong child support modification cases. To ensure you are able to meet your child’s financial needs and your own without creating financial hardship, we will:
- Read and review your current support order
- Evaluate your financial circumstances
- Clarify your child support rights and responsibilities
- Represent you at hearings or in court, as needed
- Compile, complete, and file all related paperwork
- Ensure all information and filing deadlines are met
Factors that determine the amount of support you pay include the income of both parents, the number of children the support is for, and the amount of time the child or children spend with each parent.
You do not have to make these calculations on your own. Our family law team can help you prove a substantial change in either of these circumstances that might warrant a change to your ongoing obligation.
Read What Clients Say About Our Client Support Experience
Family law matters can be emotionally charged, so our law firm works hard to give each client the personalized legal support they need. Previous clients say:
- Rachel Mark: “Atty. Andrea Anderson is thoughtful, attentive, experienced, and knowledgeable. She provides solid and useful advice, and she treats her clients with the utmost care. It is a comfort to know that Atty. Anderson is trustworthy and will work hard for my family.”
- Hector Sanz: “Andrea Anderson is a dedicated, exceptional lawyer. Her research, diligence, and hard work [are] among the very best you can find to help with your legal troubles. I highly recommend her.”
Our Google reviews page has more reviews like these that attest to our commitment to outstanding client support.
Our Family Law Team Is on Your Side
If your current support order has become unsustainable, our child support modification lawyer can help. Find out how hard we fight for our clients in Gainesville by contacting one of our Bogin, Munns & Munns family law team members today.
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