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Child Support entitlement and enforcement |
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10.12.2007 |
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 According to the most recent U.S. Census, single parents are the head of 12.9 million households in the United States. The financial burden that a sole provider must shoulder can be overwhelming if he/she does not have the economic support of the other parent. The children of Miami-Dade County have a right to receive this necessary economic support and my office is here to help our community with the essential tools needed to obtain or enforce a child support order.
These are some of the frequently asked questions that we receive. I hope the answers will provide you with a better understanding of the services we offer through our Child Support Enforcement Unit.
Question: Who is entitled to child support?
Answer: Child support is entitled to those who have physical custody of a minor child.
Question: What if the father of my child did not sign the birth certificate?
Answer: Our office will assist you in establishing the paternity of the child. There are several different legal means available including genetic testing that can aid in establishing paternity.
Question: How much do I have to pay for your services?
Answer: There is no cost associated with receiving assistance with your child support case.
Question: What services related to child support are not provided by the Child Support Enforcement Unit?
Answer: Our office has no involvement in custody or visitation issues. You must address these issues by contracting with a private attorney of your choice or contacting the Self Help Office at 305-349-7800 for a lower cost alternative.
Question: How is the amount of child support awarded determined?
Answer: The State of Florida has specific guidelines that take into account several factors in order to determine the amount of child support ordered. Some factors that are considered include parental incomes, and day care and health care costs.
Question: How does my child benefit from paternity being established?
Answer: Establishing the paternity of a child is beneficial for many reasons, including social security benefits, genetic/medical reasons, inheritance purposes, life insurance considerations, and more importantly, your child will know the identity of both his/her parents.
Question: What if the non-custodial parent lives in another county or state?
Answer: Federal and State Statutes allow for cooperation amongst counties and states. Therefore, this should not pose a problem.
Question: My ex is not paying child support. Can anything be done about this?
Answer: Depending on the circumstances of the case, we can enforce an order using several mechanisms. These include but are not limited to driver’s license suspensions, credit bureau reporting, IRS tax intercepts, suspension of professional/occupational licenses, administrative fines, lottery intercepts, and contempt filings.
Question: What do I need to do to get my case started?
Answer: Call us at 305-530-2600 so we can schedule an appointment for you to meet with one of our Case Analysts.
By Katherine Fernandez Rundle
State Attorney
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Última modificación ( 10.12.2007 )
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