Eduardo Perez v. State of Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program

CourtDistrict Court of Appeal of Florida
DecidedJanuary 24, 2024
Docket2023-1820
StatusPublished

This text of Eduardo Perez v. State of Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program (Eduardo Perez v. State of Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court of Appeal of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

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Eduardo Perez v. State of Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program, (Fla. Ct. App. 2024).

Opinion

Third District Court of Appeal State of Florida

Opinion filed January 24, 2024.

________________

No. 3D23-1820 Lower Tribunal Nos. CS 1244821853, 13060028666FC ________________

Eduardo Perez, Appellant,

vs.

State of Florida, Department of Revenue, Child Support Program, et al., Appellees.

An Appeal from the State of Florida, Department of Revenue, Child Support Program.

Eduardo Perez, in proper person.

Ashley Moody, Attorney General, and Toni C. Bernstein, Senior Assistant Attorney General (Tallahassee), for appellee Florida Department of Revenue.

Before EMAS, LINDSEY and MILLER, JJ.

PER CURIAM. ON CONCESSION OF ERROR

Appellant Eduardo Perez appeals a September 20, 2023, final order

which modified a 2007 Final Administrative Support Order rendered by the

Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program. The modification

of child support was sought by the mother of A.P., based upon an asserted

change in circumstances. Perez is the father of A.P.

On appeal, Perez contends—and the Department of Revenue

concedes—that the Department failed to consider Perez’s current income

and financial status in calculating the child support guidelines. We agree

that the child support guideline calculations contained in the order on appeal

are not supported by competent substantial evidence. Among other

infirmities, the order on appeal purports to rely upon Perez’s income from

2022, despite record evidence of Perez’s current income. It appears from

the record that Perez had provided the Department with documentation of

his earnings in 2023, including evidence that he became unemployed and

was to receive unemployment in July of 2023. The order contains additional

errors,1 as the Department concedes, but we deem it unnecessary to detail

them further.

1 For example, the order on appeal finds that the mother’s actual net monthly income is $743.67. The record establishes, however, that this amount represents supplemental security income (SSI), which the child receives for

2 Based upon the proper and commendable concession by the

Department of Revenue, and our own review of the record, we hold that the

Final Modified Administrative Support Order is not supported by competent

substantial evidence. We reverse the order and remand for further

proceedings consistent with this opinion.

the child’s own disability, and is not income of the mother. Further, such amounts should not be considered in adjusting the total minimum child support award. See § 61.30(11)(a)2, Fla. Stat. (2023) (providing: “The court may adjust the total minimum child support award, or either or both parents' share of the total minimum child support award, based upon the following deviation factors: . . . Independent income of the child, not to include moneys received by a child from supplemental security income.”).

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Eduardo Perez v. State of Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/eduardo-perez-v-state-of-florida-department-of-revenue-child-support-fladistctapp-2024.