On behalf of The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A.
Your ability to provide financial support to your children might change over time. You may have had earned $5,000 a month and had no problem with giving $1,000 per month in child support to your ex (custodial parent).
But what if you’ve lost your previous job, and are now earning only $3,000 a month, you’ve suffered a serious injury that is exhausting your bank account?
If your ability to pay child support changes and you require a child support reduction, the law is on your side. However, you will have to demonstrate a valid reason for a payment reduction, as neither your ex nor his/her attorney will believe that you’re acting in good faith.
Fact: there are currently 13.4 million custodial single parents living in the U.S., and the average amount of child support reaches nearly $5,800 per year.
Is It Possible To Get A Child Support Reduction in Fort Lauderdale?
Whether you live in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere else across Florida, federal and state laws in Florida recognize that previously agreed or court-ordered child support agreements may become unacceptable for one of the parties.
Sometimes, life events – such as the loss of a job, an expensive injury, a change in marital status, or simply a change in your personal income – may entitle you to a child support modification to lower child support payments (or increase them).
If a person has a legitimate reason to believe that they are no longer able to pay previously agreed child support payments, he or she may file a petition in court to pursue a child support modification.
In some cases, parents (ex-partners) agree to the child support reduction without seeking the legal help of a judge, but in most cases, a judge order may be required to sign off a child support modification.
Fact: Statistics show that only 10.2% of child support agreements in the U.S. in 2016 were informal child support deals reached between the two parents without a judge order (89.8% were established formally in court or through a Title IV-D agency).
What If Child Support Money Is Spent Irresponsibly and Inappropriately?
Some parents may also pursue a child support modification if they have reasons to believe that their ex (the custodial parent) is spending child support money irresponsibly and inappropriately.
Consult our child support attorney in Fort Lauderdale at The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A., by calling toll-free at 954-533-2756 or filling out this contact form.
Let our experienced child support lawyer launch an independent investigation into how your ex-spends child support money, and hold the other parent of your child responsible for not spending money on food, proper care, and support for the child.
How to Pursue Child Support Reduction?
Here at The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A., we realize how urgent a child support reduction may be in certain circumstances (loss of a job, injury, etc.), which is why we’ve prepared this handy guide to pursue a child support modification in Fort Lauderdale or anywhere else in Florida.
Note: Take legal action as soon as your circumstances change and you’re no longer capable of paying the current child support amount (or you know beforehand that they will change soon), as you may still owe the unpaid amount that should have been paid earlier.
Consult a child support attorney. Seek the legal advice of a legal expert in Fort Lauderdale to take legal action immediately without having to go through hundreds of pages containing confusing legalese language yourself. Every minute counts.
Let the attorney try to reach an agreement with the custodial parent. The other parent may be sympathetic and agree to reduce the child support amount if you prove to them that you’re no longer able to pay the current child support amount.
If the other parent refuses to accept a child support reduction agreement, let your attorney take a child support modification to court.
Keep providing for your child according to the current child support agreement as best as you can. Pay as much as you can while the court proceedings are underway.
Document each and every change in your circumstances (the loss of a job, income changes, medical expenses, an injury, disability, or other extreme life events).
Consult our child support attorney today to maximize your chances of reaching a child support modification deal. Call our Fort Lauderdale offices at 954-533-2756 or fill out this contact form to get a free initial consultation.
