Child Support in Florida
If you are a custodial parent living in Florida, the first step you must take to setting up child support is to complete an application. You may obtain an application at your local Child Support Enforcement (CSE) office or you can download it online. You will be required to pay a one time, non-refundable fee of $25 to the Florida Department of Revenue to have your application processed. If you need assistance in filing out your application, please contact your local CSE office or call 1-800-622-KIDS.
Because each case is different, the amount of time you have to wait to process the application may vary. Such things as establishing paternity and locating a missing parent may increase the amount of time in which you must wait.
Sometimes the non-custodial parent has moved to another state. CSE can still help you as long as you have a copy of your child support order and any record of payments that have already been made. If you are moving to Florida from another state and don’t have a copy of your support order, CSE can obtain the necessary information if you provide them with the county/state the order was issued in and the approximate date.
The amount of pay for child support is determined according to the Florida Statute 61.30. It is based on the income of both parents and the number of children involved in the order. The court has the right to increase or decrease the amount of child support up to 5%. CSE realizes the importance of medical support for the child involved in the order and pursues the non-custodial parent to either enroll the child under his or her health coverage or pay fees to cover insurance set up by the custodial parent.
Either parent may check the status of the child support collection or distribution by calling 1-800-622-KIDS or online at the My Florida County web page. You can check the payment history is you have the full name and social security numbers of both parents.
The Florida Department of Revenue has several new services for child support. You can receive your support payments through direct deposit or on a Florida Debit MasterCard. You can check for undistributed child support collections. If you are in the military and have been recently activated, notify CSE at 1-800-622-KIDS whether you are the custodial or non-custodial parent.
Non-custodial parents have several options for paying their child support. CSE will accept checks or will set it up so the payments are automatically deducted from the parent’s paycheck or bank account. Refusal to pay child support is a serious offense. CSE can suspend licenses; intercept tax refunds and lottery winnings, place liens on personal property, garnish bank accounts, report debt to credit bureaus, and issue arrest warrants.
Either parent may request that the child support order be reviewed by the CSE once every three years. This can be done by submitted a “Request for Review and Adjustment” form which can be obtained at your local CSE office or online.