On behalf of The Law Office of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A.
His name is David Lawrence Adams and he has been called the “most wanted deadbeat parent” by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
Upon his divorce in 1994, Adams, a cardiologist in Florida at the time, was ordered to pay $2,500 a month in child support payments. He repeatedly refused to make those payments and, in 2008, a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Since he stopped paying, he has racked up a bill for $4,219,040, including interest, for back child support. Investigators say that Adams fled to Israel to avoid making payments, but they believe he travels back to the US regularly.
“Parents who fail to pay court-ordered support for the care of their children put an unnecessary strain on the custodial parent and the children, as well as on agencies that are tasked with enforcing these matters,” said the Office of the Inspector General.
While this is an extreme case of child support neglect, parents across Florida struggle with figuring out how child support works. When you need a child support lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, you can turn to The Law Office Of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A. for help.
The Law
Florida law requires that both parents continue to support their children after separation, regardless of who has custody. The amount of child support that each parent is required to pay is determined by the family court using specific calculations. Everybody’s situation is different.
The court will look at:
- Final custody arrangements
- Healthcare costs
- Education costs
- Housing, clothing, and food costs
- And more
The court will also examine the income of both parents at the time of separation.
There are times when child support payments may need to be modified. This can be due to a parent losing their job. In this case, they may need to ask for a reduction in the amount they pay. An adjustment could also be made if a parent receives a promotion or gets a higher-paying job. The court may then determine that they can pay more.
It is never acceptable to stop paying child support payments without first seeking approval from the courts. This is illegal and the receiving parent can pursue legal action to recover back payments. A failure to pay could land a parent in jail.
What You Can Do
We know that divorce is hard and that it is not something you wanted to be going through. When children are involved, we know you want to come up with the best solution possible, regardless of whether you have custody or not. At The Law Office Of Gustavo E. Frances, P.A., we want to help you understand the ins and outs of Florida’s child support laws so that your child is taken care of. We will make sure you are treated fairly throughout the process. When you need a child support attorney in Fort Lauderdale, you can contact us by clicking here or calling 954-533-2756 for a free consultation.
