What Happens To Parenting Plans And Child Support When A Teen Gets A Job?
Some kids are born entrepreneurs, and some teenagers realize that the best way to get their parents to stop bossing them around is to become financially independent. Whatever their motivations for looking for a job, Florida law permits adolescents ages 14 and older to seek legal employment, although there are some restrictions on the hours they can work and the kinds of tasks that they can perform. Now that summer vacation is quickly approaching, many teenagers in Florida are entering the workforce for the first time. Most of the time, this is a cause for celebration; you know you have succeeded as a parent when your teen-aged child is able to take on mature responsibilities such as working or driving a car. For some families, though, especially ones where the co-parenting relationship has always been stressful, a teenager’s decision to enter the workforce can cause a whole new round of conflict. Parenting plans that worked well when the children were younger might require adjustment when they are teenagers. If you need to modify your parenting plan to accommodate your teens’ new schedules, contact a Boca Raton child custody lawyer.
Teens May Take Steps Toward Legal Independence, but Your Parental Responsibilities Remain Until They Reach Legal Adulthood
Florida law permits teenagers ages 14 and up to hold paid employment. During summer vacation, teens ages 14 and 15 may work up to 40 hours per week, with a maximum of eight hours per workday, and work must start no earlier than 7:00 a.m. and end no later than 9:00 p.m. Employees ages 16 and 17 may work an unlimited number of hours and have the same right to overtime pay as adult employees. For both age groups, additional restrictions on work hours apply when school is in session.
If your teen is working long days during your parenting time but engaging in fun family activities with your ex-spouse on his days off, you can request a modification of your parenting plan. Of course, if you are proud to see your baby grow up and become independent, and you don’t want another court battle with your ex, you can just enjoy the peace and quiet during the day and enjoy a late dinner with your industrious teen when he gets home from work.
The money that minors earn at work legally belongs to them and should not be counted toward family income. If your teen is working double shifts at the supermarket before her senior year of high school, she is free to spend the money on Starbucks, new clothes, treating her friends to sushi, or saving for a car. Your child support obligations remain the same until she has turned 19 or graduated from high school, whichever happens first.
Contact Schwartz | White About Co-Parenting Enterprising Teens
A South Florida child custody lawyer can help you cope with co-parenting as your children prepare to leave the nest. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Sources:
custodyxchange.com/topics/custody/steps/modify.php
usf.edu/administrative-services/environmental-health-safety/documents/floridachildlaborlaws.pdf
