The child support amount guidelines for the state of Florida determine how much the payor should give to their child for financial support and how and when a child support order can be modified. If you’re a Florida resident and need to know how to modify your child support order, this information will let you know how to complete this process.
Explanation for modification
The parent demanding the child support modification can make a request that is 5% lower or higher than the current child support payments. The court will consider the age of the child, the standard of living for the child, and the occupation and station in life of each parent. If the parent wishing to modify the order is requesting more than 5% of the current child support amount, the parent will have to state the reasons for the request in writing along with an explanation of why the adjustment is best for the child. If the person paying the child support does not agree with the increase in pay, this parent must write a letter stating why the increase is inappropriate.
Additional guidelines
The parent requesting an increase or decrease in child support payments must prove the change in circumstances warrants the child support modification. The difference between the current monthly payments and the allowed modification amount should be less than 15% or $50, whichever is higher before the Florida courts can decide if a change in circumstances is valid enough to change the child support order.
For every child support order reviewed, if the amount under the order differs by as little as 10% but is not less than $25 of the amount that would have been awarded to the child, the department will move to modify the order. These changes can be made without written proof of a change in either parent’s circumstance.
