The Child Support Program automatically sends income withholding for support notices to a parent's employer when the employer is known. The employer withholds child support payments from the employee's income and sends the payments to the Florida State Disbursement Unit.
Paternity and support cases can take as long as 6 to 8 months. However, parents can request a retroactive child support which can create a retroactive child support obligation for up to two years prior to the action being filed.
You can apply online, visit the local child support office (6302 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Suite 110, Tampa FL 33619-1166), or call the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement Department and ask for an application to be mailed to you.
General Considerations for Determining Child Support Eligibility The needs of the child. The physical and emotional state of the child. The income of both parents. The financial condition of both parents. The standard of living the child would have received if the parents had remained together.
Employers who do not withhold and send child support payments as ordered are subject to penalties in every state. These may include repayment of the amount of the child support plus penalties and fines.
Upon request, employers must provide information to state child support agencies about employees, including employment status and information on wages, income, withholdings, and possible health insurance.
Regardless of marital status, parents have a legal duty to support and provide for their children. This means you can pursue a child support order if you and the other legal parent are living apart and they are not appropriately contributing to your child's financial needs.