Members of the military are required to provide financial support for their children after a divorce or separation. This is true whether you are serving in Florida, in another state or in another country. The structure of a payment plan depends on whether a formal child support order is already in place.
Determining the monthly payment
The amount that you must pay is typically based on your income, and it may also depend on the number of children that you have to support as well as how much time you spend with them. If your income changes for any reason, a child support order may be modified to reflect that. State law will typically determine how much each of your children are entitled to each month.
How payments are made
The military does not directly facilitate child support payments. Therefore, it’s up to you and your child’s other parent to find a way to ensure that payments are made in a timely manner. One method of doing this is to ask for funds to be deducted from your paycheck that are then used to care for your child. Servicemembers who fail to stay current with their child support responsibilities may face a number of sanctions including being discharged from the military.
Child support payments are typically used to provide food, clothing and other essentials for a minor. In some cases, they may be used to buy a car or other items that are used by the parent to take the child to school or to get to medical appointments in a timely manner. If you are struggling to make support payments on time, it may be possible to ask for a modification or for other forms of relief.