Tag Archive for: child support

Special Needs Children and Divorce

California family law attorney Lisa Helfend Meyer recently discussed particular issues that arise in divorce cases involving special needs children:

A parenting plan for the typical child may not be appropriate for an autistic child or one with other developmental issues. For example, it’s not unusual for the typical 3 year-old child to be able to have overnight stays with the non-custodial parent. She can understand the concept of time and that she will see her other parent again. The special-needs child often has difficulty with transitions, she is comforted by the familiar and doesn’t like changes in environment. Likewise, she may not be unable to express herself verbally nor to understand abstract concepts like time. Custody and visitation decisions for a special-needs child must take into account many issues like these.

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Video: Divorce TV – Child Support Guidelines

The following video from Divorce TV discusses child support guidelines:

Keep in mind that each state’s child support guidelines are different.  Florida’s child support guidelines are based on section 61.30, Florida Statutes.

If you have questions regarding child support and wish to set up a consultation with The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., call us at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our contact form.

Dependents and Qualifying Child for Child Tax Credit

The following excerpt from the Instructions for IRS Form 1040 provides information on whether a non-custodial parent (a parent with whom a child resides less than half of the year) qualifies for the Child Tax Credit (after the jump):

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Retroactive Child Support

Everyone knows that a Florida court can order a parent to pay child support up until the child is 18 years, or even beyond.  But can a court order a parent to pay retroactive child support (child support that covers a period of time prior to the filing of a court action)?

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Video: The Family Law Project – Child Support

In the following dramatization from Aspen Publishing, child support guidelines are reviewed:

You should note that Florida utilizes the “Income Shares” approach (the second guidelines approach discussed) to determine a child support amount.  However, in addition to including the pro rata share of income from each parent, the Florida child support guidelines also factors in deductions–such as daycare and healthcare expenses–as well as the amount of time children spend with each parent.

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Video: The Family Law Project – Paternity

The following video from Aspen Publishing dramatizes a consultation where a young man is seeking information regarding paternity:

Please note that, in Florida, if the state files a petition to establish paternity and child support on behalf of a mother, the issue of a father’s custody rights will not necessarily be addressed.  A father has to independently file a petition or counter-petition to establish paternity and a parenting plan.  Only then will a court enter an order which (i) lays out the father’s level of parental responsibility towards the child and (ii) creates a schedule which spells out the days when a father is entitled to spend time with the child.

To contact a Florida family law attorney regarding your paternity issue, visit the website of The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., or call us at (813) 443-0615.

Kristen Houghton’s “Happiness May Be A Prenuptial Agreement”

Author Kristen Houghton brings up some interesting points in her article, Happiness May Be A Prenuptial Agreement (from the Huffington Post):

[A] pre-nup isn’t just for royals or the wealthy, anyway. Though much more common in the case of a second marriage (especially if children from a previous one are involved), a prenuptial agreement is not such a bad idea for a “first” marriage either. And you don’t have to be Donald Trump to request a pre-nup. Many young couples are either toying with the idea or have actually seriously talked about it.

The classic pre-nup is a legal contract which operates by ensuring that if a couple divorces, any possessions each had before marrying would remain their own and not be divided as part of the marital pool. You can make a pre-nup very individual, but traditionally, both sides are entitled to 50 percent of any income earned during the marriage period. If one of the partners earned little or nothing throughout the marriage, they’d be allowed to be given a percentage of their partner’s earnings and possibly part of a future pension.

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Filing Fees in Pasco County

I previous wrote about filing fees in Hillsborough County and Pinellas County.  In this post I review current filing fees in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pasco County, for common family law matters.  A person who initiates a family law case (the “Petitioner”) will pay the following:

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Filing Fees in Pinellas County

I previous wrote about filing fees in Hillsborough County.  In this post I review current filing fees in the Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pinellas County, for common family law matters.  A person who initiates a family law case (the “Petitioner”) will pay the following:

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Filing Fees in Hillsborough County

For most types of family law actions, a party needs to pay a fee to the clerk of the court when he or she files a petition.  Current filing fees for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit (Hillsborough County) for common family law matters are as follows:

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