Child Support Guidance in Florida
Clear, fair financial support solutions focused on the needs of your child.
An Experienced Florida Child Support Attorney Fighting for Your Child's Future
When a relationship ends, your child’s financial well-being should never be in question. Child support exists to ensure that both parents contribute to the basic needs of their children—housing, food, transportation, and more. But navigating Florida’s child support laws can be complicated, and the stakes are too high to go it alone.
At the Law Offices of Kerya L. Koeut, P.A., we help parents across Florida establish, modify, and enforce child support orders with clear strategy and genuine compassion. Whether you’re seeking support for your child or need to address an unfair order, we’re here to protect what matters most.
Compassionate, Strategic Representation for Florida Families
Why Florida Families Trust Kerya Koeut
Decades of Experience
With extensive experience in Florida family law, Kerya Koeut understands the nuances of child support calculations, enforcement, and modification inside and out.
Personalized Attention
Every family's situation is different. We take the time to understand your circumstances and build a strategy focused on your child's best interests.
Proven Track Record
We have helped countless Florida parents secure fair child support outcomes—whether establishing new orders or challenging ones that no longer reflect reality.
Compassionate Counsel
We know how much this matters. You'll be treated with respect and honesty every step of the way, with an attorney who genuinely cares about your family's outcome.
Understanding Child Support in Florida
Florida’s child support system is guided by specific statutes and guidelines. Knowing how the process works helps you make informed decisions and advocate effectively for your child.
How Child Support is Calculated
Florida uses the Income Shares Model, which considers both parents’ net income, the number of children, time-sharing arrangements, and other expenses like health insurance and childcare.
Who Receives Child Support
In most cases, the parent with majority time-sharing receives child support from the other parent to help cover the child’s day-to-day living expenses.
What Support Covers
Child support is intended to help with housing, food, and transportation. The receiving parent is not required to provide the paying parent an accounting of how the funds are spent.
Modifying an Existing Order
If there has been a substantial change in circumstances—such as a job loss, income change, or shift in time-sharing—either parent may petition the court to modify the existing order.
Interstate Child Support
If one parent lives outside Florida, federal law (UIFSA) still provides mechanisms to establish and enforce child support across state lines.
Interstate Child Support
If one parent lives outside Florida, federal law (UIFSA) still provides mechanisms to establish and enforce child support across state lines.
Common Questions About Child Support in Florida
Florida uses the Income Shares Model. The court considers both parents’ net monthly income, the number of children, the time-sharing schedule, health insurance costs, and childcare expenses. A Florida Child Support Guidelines Worksheet is used to arrive at the base amount.
Yes. Either parent can seek a modification if there has been a substantial, material, and unanticipated change in circumstances—such as a significant change in income, job loss, or a change in the child’s needs or time-sharing arrangement.
Florida has strong enforcement options. The court can order wage garnishment, intercept tax refunds, suspend driver’s or professional licenses, report the delinquency to credit bureaus, or hold the non-paying parent in contempt of court.
The base child support calculation covers basic needs. However, parents can agree—or the court can order—additional contributions toward private school tuition, medical expenses, or extracurricular activities.
Child support in Florida generally continues until the child turns 18, or until they graduate high school—whichever is later, but not beyond age 19. Support may also continue longer for a child with disabilities.
Not always. If both parents can agree on an amount consistent with Florida guidelines, the agreement can be submitted to the court for approval without a contested hearing. An attorney can help ensure the agreement is fair and legally sound.