Modification and Enforcement

Circumstances are most certainly going to change after a divorce has been finalized. And when those circumstances are substantial, such as one spouses making more or less income from what was originally disclosed to determine child support, seeking a petition to modify is the only legal recourse to make the necessary adjustments based on the new income.

• If you are having trouble paying child support, act quickly. A petition for modification of child support must be filed and a judge must order that your support be reduced before you can make reduced payments. If you do not follow these steps, you could be held responsible for all missed payments, regardless of your current personal circumstances.
• If you need to enforce a child support order, you may already be struggling to make ends meet. The thought of the additional costs of hiring a lawyer to enforce support may be keeping you from pursuing support that has been ordered. If you need to enforce child support, you should know, under Florida law, parties in contempt of court usually have to pay your attorney’s fees.