Under Florida law, parents have a fundamental obligation to support their minor children. To encourage fair and efficient settlement of support issues between parents and minimize the need for litigation, the state provides a guideline schedule that parents and courts use to determine proper child support amounts. The schedule works by approximating how much money would have been spent on the child if the parents and the child were living together. Each parent contributes a proportionate share to the total support amount. Every order for support contains a provision for healthcare coverage for the minor child when the coverage is reasonably available. In some cases, courts may consider it necessary to protect a child support award and order the parent paying support to purchase or maintain a life insurance policy or bond or to secure the child support award with other suitable assets. Contact our experienced Palm Beach attorney, Alexsandra Simoes for your  child custody matter.