Once a child support order is in place, parents may wonder whether it is permanent or whether it can be changed. In Florida, child support orders can be modified if there is a change to the parents’ financial circumstances.
Reasons for modification
There are several reasons a parent may request a child support modification. If either parent loses their job, receives a promotion or experiences another change to their employment, they may want to modify the child support order.
If the child’s needs change, that may also be a reason to request modification. These may include a change in school tuition, increased medical costs, a need for dental services or other expenses that are in the child’s best interest.
Also, if the parents change their custody arrangement or their parenting plan, they may need to change the child support amount too.
Modification process
It’s important that the parents do not stop paying child support or simply change the payments on their own. If they do so, they may be in violation of the court’s child support order.
They will need to file a petition with the court in the county where the child support order was first issued. Both parents will also need to be served notice, so they are aware of the proposed changes and can respond.
The court will hold a hearing, where both parents can present evidence. Then, the court will decide whether to modify the child support and if it does, it will issue a new child support order. Both parties are required to comply with the changes.