305-358-2330If your Florida family law case involves children, then at some point, the issue of child support is going to come up. According to Florida law, every child has the right to receive financial support from both parents, if possible.
However, there is often some confusing regarding the guidelines for Florida child support, income withholding orders and affidavits. The child support that has to be paid is based on both parent’s incomes, the total number of overnight visits that a child has with the non-custodial parent, and other factors. There are some parents who also wonder if there is a point when the appointed child support is going to end.
Does the Child Support Order Established Include an End Date?
In the state of Florida, a statute was enacted that requires each child support order to include an end date – specifically that the support is going to end on the child’s 18th birthday. If there are several children included on the order, then there will be several different end dates, as each of the children reaches 18. In most cases, an Income Withholding Order is going to go along with a child support order, which will also include end dates.
Any child support order in Florida that went into effect before October of 2010 may not have any end date included. Also, some judges still sign the orders with no end date, despite the requirements.
Ending Child Support at Age 18 when Funds are Sent to the Other Parent
If you are making child support payments to the child’s other parent, rather than the state of Florida, then it is easier to end it when the child reaches the age of 18. If you are paying the other parent, then all you have to do is stop writing the check each month. This is assuming that there are no exceptions in place that would extend the child support obligation beyond the child’s 18th birthday.
If there are no exceptions in place, then you don’t have to reopen the support case of file any documents with the case – you just cease payments. If you pay to the state of Florida, or your child support is deducted from your paycheck, you will likely need a family law attorney to help you acquire an order from the judge to terminate the payment.
Hire an Attorney to Understand Child Support Exceptions
To make sure that you can end payments when your child turns 18, you should get to know the exceptions in place in the state of Florida. If you are unfamiliar with what these are, then hiring an attorney is the best course of action. The attorney will make sure you understand what you need to do after your child turns 18.
If you need help with a child support case, contact the attorneys at the Carolan Family Law Firm, P.A. by calling 305-358-2330.
Additional Reading
Legally Accepted Reasons for Not Paying Child Support in Florida
Different Types of Child Custody