Boca Raton Child Support Lawyer
Parents in Boca Raton who are separating, divorcing, or revisiting an existing order are usually asking one question: what will support actually look like once the numbers are run? Williams & Varsegi, LLC handles divorce and family law for families across Palm Beach County and Broward County, and child support is one of the issues where early decisions about income, overnights, and documentation shape the result for years. If you are searching for a Boca Raton child support lawyer, the most useful thing to know first is that Florida does not leave the amount to a judge’s instinct.
Florida sets support through a statutory guideline in section 61.30, and the amount that formula produces is presumed to be the correct award. The court begins with each parent’s net income, which is gross income minus allowable deductions, adds the two together to reach a combined net income, and then applies a schedule keyed to that combined figure and the number of children. The inputs that move the result are the ones people fight about: what counts as income for a business owner or commissioned professional, how many overnights each parent actually has, and who carries the child’s health insurance and daycare costs.
Many Boca Raton households sit at the upper end of that schedule. When combined monthly net income exceeds $10,000, which is the top of the guidelines table, the formula takes the schedule’s highest figure and adds a fixed percentage of the income above that line: 5.0% for one child, 7.5% for two, 9.5% for three, 11.0% for four, 12.0% for five, and 12.5% for six. How much room a court has to go beyond that formula in a higher-income case is a real point of dispute, and it is where careful financial presentation matters most.
How Florida Child Support Cases Typically Unfold
Child support is rarely decided in isolation. In a divorce or a paternity action, it rides alongside the parenting plan, and the two are linked by arithmetic. Under the statute, a parent who exercises at least 20% of the overnights, roughly 73 nights a year, qualifies for a time-sharing adjustment that reduces the support calculation. Since the 2023 amendment to section 61.13, Florida also applies a rebuttable presumption that equal time-sharing serves a child’s best interests. Together, those two rules mean the time-sharing schedule and the support number can no longer be negotiated as separate topics. A parent who agrees to a schedule without understanding its effect on support may find the financial consequences locked in.
The case usually begins with a petition filed in the family division of the Circuit Court. For Boca Raton families, that is the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Palm Beach County; families in the Broward portion of our service area fall under the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. Both parties must then exchange financial disclosure, including income documentation, tax returns, and expense information, and this is where most support disputes are actually won or lost. A parent with salaried W-2 income has a simple calculation; a parent with a closely held business, variable compensation, or investment income has a fact-intensive one, and the other side is entitled to test whether reported income reflects reality.
Most cases are then sent to mediation before a trial date is set. Many support issues resolve there, because the guideline gives both sides a shared starting point and the real negotiation is about the inputs. When they do not resolve, a judge hears the evidence, calculates support under the guideline, and enters findings. Any award that departs from the guideline by more than five percent requires written findings explaining why, which gives both parents a basis to argue for or against a departure.
Why Choose Williams & Varsegi, LLC for Child Support Matters
Williams & Varsegi, LLC is a boutique firm that practices exclusively in divorce and family law, with over twenty years of experience serving clients in Palm Beach County and Broward County, including Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Parkland, and Delray Beach. The firm’s attorneys include Emerald Williams, Lawyer, and Katie, and clients work directly with experienced attorneys who know their case rather than being handed off. The range of work runs from high-net worth, high-conflict disputes to uncontested and simplified matters, which matters for support because the same statute produces very different cases depending on the family’s finances.
That breadth is relevant here. A support dispute where one parent owns a business or earns stock-based compensation calls for working with forensic accountants and business valuators, and the firm does that when a case requires it. A support dispute where the numbers are clear calls for efficient negotiation and a clean order. The firm’s attorneys are both skilled negotiators and experienced litigators with extensive courtroom experience, so a client is not forced into a settlement because the other side senses reluctance to try the case.
Client reviews of the firm point to responsiveness and a process that feels manageable. One client described being represented for three years and said the attorney made the whole process smooth and less anxious; others highlighted a knowledgeable, responsive team and an attorney who kept every promise made at the first consultation. The firm carries a 5-Star Rating from its clients. For a topic as ongoing as child support, where questions come up long after the first order is entered, that kind of accessibility counts.
Issues That Shape a Support Order
- Income Determination: The guideline depends on accurate net income for both parents, including wages, bonuses, self-employment earnings, and investment income. Parents with business interests or irregular pay often have the most contested calculations.
- Overnight Counts and the Time-Sharing Adjustment: A parent with at least 20% of overnights, roughly 73 per year, receives an adjustment under section 61.30. Because of this, disputes over the parenting schedule frequently carry a financial motive that affects how both sides negotiate.
- High Combined Income Cases: Once combined monthly net income passes the top of the guidelines schedule, support is the schedule’s top amount plus a set percentage of the excess, depending on the number of children. Many Boca Raton families fall into this category.
- Health Insurance and Daycare: Premiums for the children’s coverage and work-related childcare costs are factored into the calculation and divided between the parents, so these figures need to be documented before the case is filed.
- Deviations from the Guideline: A court may depart from the presumptive amount, but a deviation of more than five percent requires written findings. A parent seeking a different number must prove why the formula would be unjust or inappropriate on their facts.
- Modification of Existing Orders: A change in circumstances can justify revisiting support. A substantial change is presumed when a fresh guideline calculation differs from the current order by 15% or $50, whichever is greater.
- Relocation and Support: A move of at least 50 miles lasting 60 consecutive days or more is a relocation under section 61.13001, and it can change both the time-sharing schedule and the support figure that follows from it.
- Department of Revenue Reviews: When an order is reviewed by the Department of Revenue and the award differs from the guideline by at least 10 percent and not less than $25, the department can seek modification without proof of changed circumstances.
What to Do If Support Is Being Set, Changed, or Challenged
Start with documents, because the guideline is only as accurate as the income and expense figures put into it. Gather recent pay records, tax returns, records of any business or side income, statements showing the children’s health insurance premiums, and receipts for daycare or after-school care. If you are the parent likely to owe support, assemble the same material; the court expects full disclosure from both sides, and an incomplete or inconsistent presentation damages credibility quickly. Keep a calendar of actual overnights as well. Because the 20% threshold changes the calculation, a record of who actually had the children on which nights is useful evidence when the parenting schedule is contested.
Next, consider where the case will be heard. Family matters for Boca Raton residents are handled by the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit’s family division, which has courthouses in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, and Delray Beach; the South County Courthouse in Delray Beach is the one most convenient to southern Palm Beach County residents, and its clerk accepts family court filings. Families in Broward County file in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit’s family division. Filing in the right circuit matters, and so does the timing of the filing, since the cut-off for classifying marital assets and liabilities often ties to the petition date and the support request is usually filed alongside the broader divorce or paternity action.
If you have been served with a petition, you cannot afford to wait. A response is due promptly after service, and ignoring it risks a default in which the other parent’s numbers become the order. If you already have an order and your circumstances have changed, do not simply stop paying or unilaterally adjust the amount; support obligations continue until a court modifies them, and a parent who falls behind accumulates arrears regardless of the reason. The proper route is to file for modification and let the court recalculate under the guideline. The most common mistake we see is informal side agreements between parents, such as agreeing to pay less because of a job change, that are never put before the judge and therefore have no legal force.
Child Support Questions Boca Raton Parents Ask
How does Florida calculate child support?
Florida uses the guideline in section 61.30. The court determines each parent’s net income, combines the two figures, and applies a schedule based on that combined income and the number of children. Adjustments are then made for items such as health insurance, daycare, and the time-sharing schedule. The resulting amount is presumed to be correct.
What happens if our combined income is above the guideline schedule?
When combined monthly net income exceeds the top of the schedule, which is $10,000, support starts at the schedule’s highest amount and adds a percentage of the income above that level. The percentage depends on the number of children: 5.0% for one, 7.5% for two, 9.5% for three, 11.0% for four, 12.0% for five, and 12.5% for six.
Does having more overnights reduce what I pay?
It can. A parent who exercises at least 20% of the overnights, which is roughly 73 nights per year, qualifies for a time-sharing adjustment in the calculation. Since the 2023 change creating a rebuttable presumption of equal time-sharing, more families are reaching that threshold than in the past.
Can the court order a different amount than the guideline?
Yes, but only with justification. The guideline amount is presumptive, and a court that departs from it by more than five percent must make written findings explaining why. The party seeking a different number carries the burden of showing the formula would be unjust or inappropriate in their situation.
Can child support be changed after the order is entered?
Yes, through a modification request. A substantial change is presumed when a new guideline calculation differs from the existing order by 15% or $50, whichever is greater. You must file and obtain a court order; a private agreement between the parents does not modify the obligation.
How is income calculated if I own a business?
Net income for support purposes is based on gross income minus allowable deductions, and for business owners that often means looking past the tax return to what the business actually generates for the owner. These cases commonly involve forensic accountants or business valuators, and the other parent may challenge expenses that appear to reduce income artificially.
What if my ex relocates with our child?
A relocation under section 61.13001 means a move of at least 50 miles from the prior residence lasting at least 60 consecutive days, not counting temporary absences for vacation, education, or a child’s health care. A written objection to a relocation petition must be filed and served within 20 days of service, and a changed time-sharing schedule can in turn change the support calculation.
Does a premarital agreement affect child support?
No. Under Florida’s Uniform Premarital Agreement Act, a child’s right to support cannot be adversely affected by a premarital agreement. The agreement may govern the spouses’ property and alimony rights, but it cannot limit what a child is owed.
What does the Department of Revenue do in a support case?
When the Department of Revenue reviews an order and finds that the award differs from the guideline amount by at least 10 percent, and by not less than $25, it can seek modification without requiring proof of a change in circumstances. Parents with orders in that system should be aware that the review can move in either direction.
Where are child support cases heard for Boca Raton families?
They are heard in the family division of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Palm Beach County. Appeals from the circuit courts in Palm Beach and Broward Counties go to Florida’s Fourth District Court of Appeal.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer if we mostly agree on support?
Often yes. Even an agreed number needs to be calculated correctly, reflect the actual time-sharing schedule, and be drafted so it is enforceable. Small errors in income inputs or overnight counts compound over many years, and an agreement that departs from the guideline may require written findings to be approved.
Serving Child Support Clients Across Palm Beach and Broward Counties
Williams & Varsegi, LLC represents parents throughout Boca Raton and the surrounding communities of Palm Beach County, from the neighborhoods west of the Turnpike through the city’s central and coastal areas and south toward the county line. Our team also serves families in Delray Beach, where the South County Courthouse hears many Palm Beach County family matters, along with Boynton Beach, Highland Beach, and Deerfield Beach on the Broward side of the county line.
In Broward County, we work with families in Coral Springs and Parkland, as well as nearby communities such as Margate, Coconut Creek, and Pompano Beach. Across South Florida, we handle support cases that range from straightforward guideline calculations to high-income matters involving business ownership, executive compensation, and professionals such as physicians, federal employees, and police and fire personnel, whose pay structures and benefits raise their own questions in a support analysis.
Speak With a Boca Raton Child Support Attorney
Whether you are trying to establish support for the first time, defend against a number you believe is wrong, or modify an order that no longer fits your family’s circumstances, a conversation with a Boca Raton child support attorney at Williams & Varsegi, LLC is a practical place to start. We will review your income, your time-sharing schedule, and the existing order if there is one, and tell you plainly what the guideline is likely to produce and where there is room to argue. Call to schedule a consultation and get a clear picture of where you stand.
