Child support cases turn on numbers, but what is behind those numbers is rarely simple. Whether you are trying to secure the support your child is entitled to, challenge an order that no longer reflects your financial reality, or enforce payments a court has already ordered, the outcome affects your child's daily life. The St. Petersburg child support attorneys at Khonsari Law Group represent parents throughout Pinellas County in initial support proceedings, modifications, and enforcement matters in the 6th Judicial Circuit Court.
Child support is not optional in Florida, and getting the calculation right from the start matters. Call (727) 269-5300 today for a free case review.
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How Does Florida Calculate Child Support?
Florida child support is not left to a judge's discretion. It is calculated using a formula established in Florida Statute 61.30, and both parents are legally required to contribute.
The formula uses the Income Shares Model, which begins with the combined monthly net income of both parents. "Net income" means gross income minus allowable deductions: federal and state taxes, Social Security contributions, and any court-ordered payments for other dependents. Once both parents' net incomes are calculated, the guidelines produce a baseline obligation based on the number of children.
Child support can be established during a dissolution of marriage, through a paternity action for unmarried parents, or as a standalone proceeding. Three factors adjust the baseline figure in every case:
Timesharing percentage. A parent who has the child for a substantial portion of the year, typically 20% or more of overnights, receives a downward adjustment in their obligation. The more time a parent spends with the child, the lower their payment. This is one reason timesharing arrangements and child support calculations are directly connected.
Health insurance costs. The child's health insurance premium is factored into the calculation and allocated between both parents in proportion to their incomes.
Child care expenses. Work-related child care costs, such as daycare or after-school programs needed because a parent is employed, are added to the obligation and divided proportionally.
Courts can deviate from the guideline amount, but only with a written finding explaining why the standard result would be unjust or inappropriate. That requirement is meaningful: it limits how far a judge can vary from the formula without justification.
What Can Trigger a Child Support Modification?
A child support order can be modified when there has been a substantial change in circumstances since the original order was entered.
Florida Statute 61.30 provides a specific numerical test: if running both parents' current incomes and the actual timesharing schedule through the guidelines produces a result that is at least 15% or $50 different from the existing order, whichever is greater, that difference alone can establish grounds for modification. A separate life event is not always required. The numbers themselves can carry the case.
What Qualifies as a Substantial Change
Common circumstances include a significant increase or decrease in either parent's income, a job loss, a change in the timesharing schedule, a major shift in the child's medical or educational needs, or a parent becoming incarcerated or permanently disabled. Changes that a parent brings on voluntarily, such as choosing lower-paying work, are treated differently and may not qualify without additional legal strategy.
What Happens When a Parent Earns Less Than They Should
Florida courts are not required to accept a parent's reported income at face value. If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or earning below their training, education, and prior work history would suggest, the court can assign an "imputed income" to that parent. Imputed income is a figure representing what the parent could reasonably earn in the current job market, and it is used in the guideline calculation in place of their actual reported earnings. This prevents a parent from reducing their obligation by simply working less or staying home without justification.
Call Khonsari Law Group at (727) 269-5300 or contact us online for a free consultation. Whether you are pursuing a modification or responding to one, the numbers in front of the court have to be right.
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What Happens When a Parent Stops Paying or Misrepresents Income?
A child support order is a court order. Choosing not to pay is not a negotiating position.
Enforcement Options in Pinellas County
When a parent falls behind, the unpaid amount is called arrears. Florida provides multiple enforcement mechanisms. An income deduction order, which functions like wage garnishment, can require an employer to withhold support directly from the paying parent's paycheck before it is ever received. Courts can suspend a non-paying parent's driver's license, professional licenses, and recreational licenses. Under Florida Statute 61.14, a Pinellas County court can hold a parent in contempt of court for willful non-payment, which can result in fines or jail time.
Past-due child support does not disappear. Arrears accumulate with interest and cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. A parent who owes back support cannot wait it out.
When a Parent Is Hiding or Understating Income
Some paying parents underreport income by misclassifying earnings, routing money through a business entity, overstating deductions, or simply providing false information on the sworn financial affidavit both parties are required to file. When reported income seems inconsistent with a parent's lifestyle, assets, or work history, there are discovery tools available to investigate.
A St. Petersburg child support attorney experienced in these cases knows which financial records to request, how to identify discrepancies, and how to present that evidence before the court effectively.
When Does Child Support End in Florida?
Child support generally ends when the child turns 18. If the child is still enrolled in high school at 18, support continues until graduation, but not past the child's 19th birthday.
Support can end earlier in specific situations: if the child enlists in the military, marries, or is legally emancipated by a court. Reaching the termination date does not eliminate any arrears already owed. A parent who stopped paying years before the child turned 18 still owes every dollar that accumulated during that time.
Support does not terminate automatically. A paying parent typically must take a separate legal step to end any active wage garnishment or income deduction order. Failing to address this can result in continued withholding after the legal obligation has ended.
Child Support Is a Calculation. Strategy Is What Changes the Outcome.
The formula itself is not contested. What determines whether a parent receives or pays a fair amount is what goes into that formula: which income figures are used, how timesharing is counted, which expenses are included, and whether a parent's reported earnings accurately reflect what they actually make.
Rohom Khonsari founded this firm on the principle of doing everything possible for each client. As a former Assistant State Attorney, he built his career reading cases, evaluating evidence, and arguing in courtrooms—a background that directly informs how we build every child support strategy.
Khonsari Law Group has been featured on ABC Action News and Bay News 9, and recognized by the Tampa Bay Business Journal and the Tampa Bay Times. The firm holds a BBB A+ rating and an Avvo Client Choice designation. In child support cases, that translates to challenging income misrepresentations with the right discovery, ensuring timesharing adjustments are applied correctly, and knowing when the numbers alone satisfy the modification threshold without requiring additional evidence.
Ask Khonsari Law Group
Q: Does 50/50 timesharing mean neither parent owes child support in Florida?
A: Not necessarily. Equal timesharing does reduce both parents' obligations significantly, but child support is still calculated under the Florida guidelines even with a 50/50 split. The income difference between the parents usually determines which parent, if any, ends up making a payment. An attorney can run the actual calculation using both parents' incomes and the specific schedule to show you the realistic outcome before you agree to any arrangement.
Q: Can I get child support lowered if I lose my job?
A: Yes, but you must file a formal petition to modify the existing order. Do not stop or reduce payments on your own while the order remains in effect: unpaid amounts become arrears immediately, accumulate interest, and cannot be eliminated by a later modification. Contact a St. Petersburg child support attorney as soon as a significant income change happens, before the unpaid balance grows into an enforcement problem.
Q: The other parent got a significant raise. Can I request more child support?
A: Yes. Under Florida Statute 61.30, if running both parents' current incomes through the guidelines produces a result that is at least 15% or $50 higher than what the current order requires, that difference can support a modification petition. You do not need a separate major life event to qualify. A child support attorney can calculate whether your specific situation meets the threshold and walk you through what to file.
Q: Does child support cover anything beyond monthly payments?
A: Yes. Florida child support orders also address who carries the child's health insurance, how uncovered medical expenses are split between the parents, and how work-related child care costs are divided. These items can add up to significant amounts over time and must be specifically addressed in the order. An agreement that only sets a monthly payment amount and leaves these components out is incomplete and often leads to disputes later.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is child support required in Florida, or can both parents agree to waive it?
Child support cannot be permanently waived in Florida, even by mutual agreement. Courts have an independent obligation to ensure children are financially supported, and a parent cannot sign away a child's right to support. Parents can sometimes agree to a specific amount or arrangement, but any agreement that deviates significantly from the guidelines requires court approval and a written finding that the deviation is not harmful to the child's interests.
Can a parent avoid paying child support by claiming they have no income?
Not effectively. Florida courts can impute income to a parent who appears voluntarily unemployed or underemployed relative to their education, skills, and work history. The court considers the local job market and the parent's demonstrated earning capacity, then assigns a reasonable income figure for purposes of the calculation. Simply reporting zero income while clearly capable of working is not a strategy that holds up when the receiving parent challenges it with an attorney who knows how to document the discrepancy.
What happens to unpaid child support once the child turns 18?
Arrears do not disappear when the support obligation ends. The child turning 18, or graduating high school, terminates the ongoing duty to pay future support, but all past-due amounts remain fully collectible. Interest continues to accrue on unpaid arrears. Enforcement tools including wage garnishment and license suspension remain available to collect the balance. The obligation to satisfy arrears outlasts the child's minority and is not affected by the child's age.
My child support order came from another state. Does it apply in Florida?
Generally yes. Florida follows the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA), which allows valid child support orders from other states to be registered and enforced in Florida courts. If the paying parent lives in Pinellas County, the order can typically be registered locally for enforcement. If circumstances have changed since the original order was entered in another state, modifying it requires confirming which state has jurisdiction before filing.
Whether you are establishing a first support order, seeking a modification that reflects what has actually changed, or collecting payments that have stopped, Khonsari Law Group is ready to put the right case in front of the court.
Call (727) 269-5300 or contact us online for a free consultation. We represent clients throughout St. Petersburg, Pinellas County, and the greater Tampa Bay area.