Child support exists to make sure a child is provided for by both parents, whether or not those parents ever lived together or are still together. In Florida, a support obligation can arise out of a divorce, a paternity case, or a separate action brought specifically to establish support. A child support lawyer in Lakeland helps a parent set up that obligation, collect what is owed, or respond to a claim for support.
How the case begins depends on the family. Married parents usually address support as part of a divorce, while unmarried parents must often establish paternity first, since there is no legal support obligation until a father’s status is set. A third route runs through the state itself, where the Florida Department of Revenue can open and pursue a support case on a parent’s behalf.
Brodzki Jacobs represents parents across Lakeland and Polk County in establishing and enforcing child support. Whichever path a case takes, the goal is a support order that reflects each parent’s real financial situation and the child’s actual needs.
Florida calculates child support with a guideline formula based on both parents’ incomes and the time each spends with the child, but the figure is only as accurate as the income numbers behind it. Income includes far more than a paycheck. Wages, self-employment earnings, bonuses, commissions, rental income, and certain benefits can all count, which makes a parent’s true income a frequent point of contention, especially when one parent is self-employed or paid partly in cash.
Where a parent’s reported income does not match their lifestyle or earning history, a child support lawyer in Lakeland can dig into bank records and business filings to establish what that parent actually earns. Pinning down accurate income at the outset is what produces a fair order and keeps one parent from quietly carrying more than their share.
Getting a support order in place is only half the job; collecting on it reliably is the other half, and Florida provides a range of tools when payments fall short. Brodzki Jacobs helps parents in the Lakeland area establish support orders that hold up and pursue the ones that go unpaid, as well as defend parents who face a claim they believe is wrong. A child support lawyer at Brodzki Jacobs can look at the specifics of your case and lay out the right approach. Call 954-932-8300 to go over it.
