Multiple Children and Child Support Cases

by May from Naples, Florida, Collier County

Can I combine 3 Children child support with the same father (3 different mothers) on one 12.905b?

Answer to Florida Child Support Question

Dear May,

The 12.905b form is a Supplemental Petition to Modify Child Support. If there are three different child support orders then there likely need to be three separate petitions to modify.

I am assuming you are the father and the noncustodial parent of all three children; and you need to modify your child support orders due to changed circumstances.

Each of the custodial parents (mothers) has an opportunity to respond to your petition, so combining them into one petition would most likely generate confusion.

However, you will also need to file a Notice of Related Cases, Form 12.900(h) to inform the court that you are the petitioner in other child support modification cases. The instructions for the Notice of Related Cases form state:

Florida Rule of Judicial Administration 2.545(d) requires the petitioner in a family law case to file with the court a notice of related cases, if any. Your circuit may also require this form to be filed even if there are no related cases. A case is considered related if:

• it involves the same parties, children, or issues and is pending when the family law case is filed; or
  
  
• it affects the court’s jurisdiction to proceed; or
  
  
• an order in the related case may conflict with an order on the same issues in the new case; or
  
  
• an order in the new case may conflict with an order in the earlier case.

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