Unlike some other states, Florida has a provision in its law spelling out exactly what happens if a child’s parents make more income each month than what Florida’s Child Support Guidelines list.
Basically, if the parents make over $10,000 a month between the two of them, the law requires that parents contribute a percentage of their income over $10,000 a month to child support. This is in addition to amounts specifically set out in the Guidelines.
In other words, to some extent, child support questions for high-earners differ only in the details. All couples will have their child support calculated under Florida’s Guidelines.
Of course, the amount of support for which each parent is responsible will depend on their income. The higher one’s income, the more support they should expect to pay.
The situations of high-earners can make support calculations difficult
On the other hand, high-earners in the Fort Meyers area frequently are in personal and financial situations that can make it harder for a couple to agree on child support.
For example, many high-earners receive income from sources other than a job, such as investments, business income or income from a family trust.
While all of these types of income factor into a court’s child support order, they can be more difficult to identify and analyze than a paystub from a parent’s job.
Furthermore, wealthier parents may have made it a point to provide for additional education or other benefits for their children, which other couples may not have been able to afford.
A court may consider some of these expenses when fashioning a child support order, even if it means a parent will wind up paying more than the basic child support amount. Courts rarely want to leave a child in a lower standard of living after a divorce.
A high-earner’s child support will be determined under Florida’ Child Support Guidelines, but they may want to understand whether these Guidelines give them some consideration for their circumstances.