Who Should Pay for the Kids' College after Divorce?

Paying for private school or college is difficult for many families with today's economic uncertainties. It becomes even more difficult for parents who are divorced. One parent typically pays child support until the child is 18, or continues payments until the child has graduated from high school by the age of 19. After that, payments for college tuition and expenses are entirely voluntary.

We invite you to contact us by phone at 561-948-3419 or via e-mail to schedule an appointment to discuss your concerns about your children's tuition after divorce. We also offer a free initial telephone consultation.

Attorney Tina L. Lewert is experienced in helping families negotiate agreements for education expenses, both for college and private secondary or primary school. If you are divorcing now, this is a good time to put your concerns about the children's education on the table for negotiation.

If you are already divorced, a lawyer at Lewert Law Offices, P.A. can work with you to file a modification of the child support order due to a change in circumstances.

Paying Your Children's College Tuition

In Florida, a divorced parent has no obligation to pay for a child's college tuition. Many divorced parents do value post-secondary education, and want to enter into voluntary agreements, which are contracts that should be approved by the court to ensure its enforceability. We suggest you consider the following important issues in creating a voluntary college support agreement:

• Spell out what expenses are covered, who will contribute, and for how long
• Decide in advance if the payments will go to the college, to your child or to a parent
• Determine the level performance you expect from your child, including a certain grade point average or a full course load
• Ask for permission to access your child's college record

Paying for Your Children's Private School

This can be part of the negotiations for child support. As you may know, Florida child support guidelines consider the following:

• Income after taxes for each parent
• Age and number of children
• Health insurance premiums for the children
• Special needs of the children
• Time-sharing arrangements
• The best interests of the children

Attorney Tina L. Lewert has worked with many families to negotiate child support agreements everybody can live with. If your personal circumstances change, she can represent you in court to request a post-judgment modification.