Florida Child Custody & Florida Child Support

Issues involving the raising of children after a divorce provide some of the most difficult and contentious problems encountered during the divorce process. Florida courts prefer that parents work out the details of raising children after a divorce because, in the long run, it is in the best interests of the child or children. If the parents cannot agree, the court will get involved and will always look to the best interests of the child or children in deciding issues of custody, visitation and support. Following are the laws governing Florida child custody and support.

Florida Child Custody:

Florida courts determine all custody issues as a function of the best interests of the children. It will consider all relevant facts and give the father and mother the same consideration regardless of the child’s sex or age. The factors the court will consider include:

• Love, affection, and other emotional ties,
• Capacity and disposition of a parent to give the child love, affection, and guidance,
• Capacity and disposition of a parent to provide for the child’s material needs,
• Length of time the child has lived in an environment,
• The permanence of the existing or proposed custodial home,
• Moral fitness,
• Mental and physical health,
• Home, school, and community record of the child,
• Reasonable preference of the child,
• Willingness of a parent to encourage a continuing relationship with the proposed noncustodial parent,
• Domestic violence,
• Any other relevant factors.

Florida Child Support:

Child support in Florida may be ordered of either or both parents at any time, and will be calculated in accordance with state guidelines that consider, among other things, 1) best interests of the child, 2) the child’s maturity age, 3) any changes in the circumstances of the parties, etc. Depending on circumstances, the court may order an insurance policy or bond be purchased in order to keep secure the child support award.