61.16 Attorney's fees, suit money, and costs. --

(1) The court may from time to time, after considering the financial resources of both parties, order a party to pay a reasonable amount for attorney's fees, suit money, and the cost to the other party of maintaining or defending any proceeding under this chapter, including enforcement and modification proceedings and appeals. In those cases in which an action is brought for enforcement and the court finds that the noncompliant party is without justification in the refusal to follow a court order, the court may not award attorney's fees, suit money, and costs to the noncompliant party. An application for attorney's fees, suit money, or costs, whether temporary or otherwise, shall not require corroborating expert testimony in order to support an award under this chapter. The trial court shall have continuing jurisdiction to make temporary attorney's fees and costs awards reasonably necessary to prosecute or defend an appeal on the same basis and criteria as though the matter were pending before it at the trial level. In all cases, the court may order that the amount be paid directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order in that attorney's name. In determining whether to make attorney's fees and costs awards at the appellate level, the court shall primarily consider the relative financial resources of the parties, unless an appellate party's cause is deemed to be frivolous. In Title IV-D cases, attorney's fees, suit money, and costs, including filing fees, recording fees, mediation costs, service of process fees, and other expenses incurred by the clerk of the circuit court, shall be assessed only against the nonprevailing obligor after the court makes a determination of the nonprevailing obligor's ability to pay such costs and fees. The Department of Revenue shall not be considered a party for purposes of this section; however, fees may be assessed against the department pursuant to s. 57.105(1).

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(2) In an action brought pursuant to Rule 3.840, Florida Rules of Criminal Procedure, whether denominated direct or indirect criminal contempt, the court shall have authority to:

(a) Appoint an attorney to prosecute said contempt.

(b) Assess attorney's fees and costs against the contemptor after the court makes a determination of the contemptor's ability to pay such costs and fees.

(c) Order that the amount be paid directly to the attorney, who may enforce the order in his or her name.

61.17 Alimony and child support; additional method for enforcing orders and judgments; costs, expenses. --

(1) An order or judgment for the payment of alimony or child support or either entered by any court of this state may be enforced by another chancery court in this state in the following manner:

(a) The person to whom such alimony or child support is payable or for whose benefit it is payable may procure a certified copy of the order or judgment and file it with a complaint for enforcement in the circuit court for the county in which the person resides or in the county where the person charged with the payment of the alimony or child support resides or is found.

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(b) If the pleadings seek a change in the amount of the alimony or child support money, the court has jurisdiction to adjudicate the application and change the order or judgment. In such event the clerk of the circuit court in which the order is entered changing the original order or judgment shall transmit a certified copy thereof to the court of original jurisdiction, and the new order shall be recorded and filed in the original action and become a part thereof. If the pleadings ask for a modification of the order or judgment, the court may determine that the action should be tried by the court entering the original order or judgment and shall then transfer the action to that court for determination as a part of the original action.

(c) Enforcement of a case certified under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act under this section shall grant to the registering court jurisdiction to address only those issues allowed and reimbursable under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act.

(2) The court in which such an action is brought has jurisdiction to award costs and expenses as are equitable, including the cost of certifying and recording the judgment entered in the action in the court of original jurisdiction and reasonable attorney's fees.

(3) The entry of a judgment for arrearages for child support, alimony, or attorney's fees and costs does not preclude a subsequent contempt proceeding or certification of a IV-D case for intercept, by the United States Internal Revenue Service, for failure of an obligor to pay the child support, alimony, attorney's fees, or costs for which the judgment was entered.

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61.18 Alimony and child support; default in undertaking of bond posted to ensure payment. --

(1) When there is a breach of the condition of any bond posted to ensure the payment of alimony or child support, either temporary or permanent, for a party or minor children of the parties, the court in which the order was issued may order payment to the party entitled thereto of the principal of the bond or the part thereof necessary to cure the existing default without further notice from time to time where the amount is liquidated.

(2) The sureties on the bond, or the sheriff or clerk holding a cash bond, shall be ordered to pay into the registry of court, or to any party the court may direct, the sum necessary to cure the default.

(3) If the principal or sureties or sheriff or clerk fails to pay within the time and as required by the order, the court may enforce the payment by contempt against the principal or sureties on the bond or sheriff or clerk without further notice, or may issue an execution against the principal, sureties, sheriff, or clerk for the amount unpaid under any prior order or orders, but no sureties on the bond are liable for more than the penalty of the bond.

61.181 Depository for alimony transactions, support, maintenance, and support payments; fees. --

(1)(a) The office of the clerk of the court shall operate a depository unless the depository is otherwise created by special act of the Legislature or unless, prior to June 1, 1985, a different entity was established to perform such functions. The department shall, no later than July 1, 1998, extend participation in the federal child support cost reimbursement program to the central depository in each county, to the maximum extent possible under existing federal law. The depository shall receive reimbursement for services provided under a cooperative agreement with the department pursuant to s. 61.1826. Each depository shall participate in the State Disbursement Unit and shall implement all statutory and contractual duties imposed on the State Disbursement Unit. Each depository shall receive from and transmit to the State Disbursement Unit required data through the Clerk of Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System. Payments on non-Title IV-D cases without income deduction orders shall not be sent to the State Disbursement Unit.

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(b) Upon request by the department, the depository created pursuant to paragraph (a) shall establish an account for the receipt and disbursement of support payments for Title IV-D interstate cases. The department shall provide a copy of the other state's order with the request, and the depository shall advise the department of the account number in writing within 4 business days after receipt of the request.

(2)(a) For payments not required to be processed through the State Disbursement Unit, the depository shall impose and collect a fee on each payment made for receiving, recording, reporting, disbursing, monitoring, or handling alimony or child support payments as required under this section. For non-Title IV-D cases required to be processed by the State Disbursement Unit pursuant to this chapter, the State Disbursement Unit shall, on each payment received, collect a fee, and shall transmit to the depository in which the case is located 40 percent of such service charge for the depository's administration, management, and maintenance of such case. If a payment is made to the State Disbursement Unit which is not accompanied by the required fee, the State Disbursement Unit shall not deduct any moneys from the support payment for payment of the fee. The fee shall be a flat fee based, to the extent practicable, upon estimated reasonable costs of operation. The fee shall be reduced in any case in which the fixed fee results in a charge to any party of an amount greater than 3 percent of the amount of any support payment made in satisfaction of the amount which the party is obligated to pay, except that no fee shall be less than $1 nor more than $5 per payment made. The fee shall be considered by the court in determining the amount of support that the obligor is, or may be, required to pay.

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(b)1. The fee imposed in paragraph (a) shall be increased to 4 percent of the support payments which the party is obligated to pay, except that no fee shall be more than $5.25. The fee shall be considered by the court in determining the amount of support that the obligor is, or may be, required to pay. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 145.022, 75 percent of the additional revenues generated by this paragraph shall be remitted monthly to the Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System Trust Fund administered by the department as provided in subparagraph 2. These funds shall be used exclusively for the development, implementation, and operation of the Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System to be operated by the depositories, including the automation of civil case information necessary for the State Case Registry. The department shall contract with the Florida Association of Court Clerks and the depositories to design, establish, operate, upgrade, and maintain the automation of the depositories to include, but not be limited to, the provision of on-line electronic transfer of information to the IV-D agency as otherwise required by this chapter. The department's obligation to fund the automation of the depositories is limited to the state share of funds available in the Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System Trust Fund. Each depository created under this section shall fully participate in the Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System and transmit data in a readable format as required by the contract between the Florida Association of Court Clerks and the department.

2. Moneys to be remitted to the department by the depository shall be done daily by electronic funds transfer and calculated as follows:

a. For each support payment of less than $33, 18.75 cents.

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b. For each support payment between $33 and $140, an amount equal to 18.75 percent of the fee charged.

c. For each support payment in excess of $140, 18.75 cents.

3. The fees established by this section shall be set forth and included in every order of support entered by a court of this state which requires payment to be made into the depository.

(3)(a) For payments not required to be processed through the State Disbursement Unit, the depository shall collect and distribute all support payments paid into the depository to the appropriate party. On or after July 1, 1998, if a payment is made on a Title IV-D case which is not accompanied by the required transaction fee, the depository shall not deduct any moneys from the support payment for payment of the fee. Nonpayment of the required fee shall be considered a delinquency, and when the total of fees and costs which are due but not paid exceeds $50, the judgment by operation of law process set forth in s. 61.14(6)(a) shall become applicable and operational. As part of its collection and distribution functions, the depository shall maintain records listing:

1. The obligor's name, address, social security number, place of employment, and any other sources of income.

2. The obligee's name, address, and social security number.

3. The amount of support due as provided in the court order.

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4. The schedule of payment as provided in the court order.

5. The actual amount of each support payment received, the date of receipt, the amount disbursed, and the recipient of the disbursement.

6. The unpaid balance of any arrearage due as provided in the court order.

7. Other records as necessary to comply with federal reporting requirements.

(b) The depository may require a payor or obligor to complete an information form, which shall request the following about the payor or obligor who provides payment by check:

1. Full name, address, and home phone number.

2. Driver's license number.

3. Social security number.

4. Name, address, and business phone number of obligor's employer.

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5. Date of birth.

6. Weight and height.

7. Such other information as may be required by the State Attorney if prosecution for an insufficient check becomes necessary.

If the depository requests such information, and a payor or obligor does not comply, the depository may refuse to accept personal checks from the payor or obligor.

(c) Parties using the depository for support payments shall inform the depository of changes in their names or addresses. An obligor shall, additionally, notify the depository of all changes in employment or sources of income, including the payor's name and address, and changes in the amounts of income received. Notification of all changes shall be made in writing to the depository within 7 days of a change.

(d) When custody of a child is relinquished by a custodial parent who is entitled to receive child support moneys from the depository to a licensed or registered long-term care child agency, that agency may request from the court an order directing child support payments which would otherwise be distributed to the custodial parent be distributed to the agency for the period of custody of the child by the agency. Thereafter, payments shall be distributed to the agency as if the agency were the custodial parent until further order of the court.

(4) The depository shall provide to the IV-D agency, at least once a month, a listing of IV-D accounts which identifies all delinquent accounts, the period of delinquency, and total amount of delinquency. The list shall be in alphabetical order by name of obligor, shall include the obligee's name and case number, and shall be provided at no cost to the IV-D agency.

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(5) The depository shall accept a support payment tendered in the form of a check drawn on the account of a payor or obligor, unless the payor or obligor has previously remitted a check which was returned to the depository due to lack of sufficient funds in the account. If the payor or obligor has had a check returned for this reason, the depository shall accept payment by cash, cashier's check, or money order, or may accept a check upon deposit by the payor or obligor of an amount equal to 1 month's payment. Upon payment by cash, cashier's check, or money order, the depository shall disburse the proceeds to the obligee within 2 working days. Payments drawn by check on the account of a payor or obligor shall be disbursed within 4 working days. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 28.243, the administrator of the depository shall not be personally liable if the check tendered by the payor or obligor is not paid by the bank.

(6) Certified copies of payment records maintained by a depository shall without further proof be admitted into evidence in any legal proceeding in this state.

(7) The depository shall provide to the Title IV-D agency the date provided by a payor, as required in s. 61.1301, for each payment received and forwarded to the agency. If no date is provided by the payor, the depository shall provide the date of receipt by the depository and shall report to the Title IV-D agency those payors who fail to provide the date the deduction was made.

(8) On or before July 1, 1994, the depository shall provide information required by this chapter to be transmitted to the Title IV-D agency by on-line electronic transmission pursuant to rules promulgated by the Title IV-D agency.

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(9) If the increase in fees as provided by paragraph (2)(b) expires or is otherwise terminated, the depository shall not be required to provide the Title IV-D agency the date provided by a payor as required by s. 61.1301.

(10) Compliance with the requirements of this section shall be included as part of the annual county audit required pursuant to s. 218.39.

61.1811 Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System Trust Fund. --There is hereby created the Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System Trust Fund to be used to deposit the department's share of the fees generated in s. 61.181(2)(b).

61.1812 Child Support Incentive Trust Fund. --

1(1) The Child Support Incentive Trust Fund is hereby created, to be administered by the Department of Revenue. All child support enforcement incentive earnings and that portion of the state share of Title IV-A public assistance collections recovered in fiscal year 1996-1997 by the Title IV-D program of the department which is in excess of the amount estimated by the February 1997 Social Services Estimating Conference to be recovered in fiscal year 1996-1997 shall be credited to the trust fund, and no other receipts, except interest earnings, shall be credited thereto. For fiscal years beginning with 1997-1998, in addition to incentive earnings and interest earnings, that portion of the state share of Title IV-A public assistance collections recovered in each fiscal year by the Title IV-D program of the department which is in excess of the amount estimated by the February 1997 Social Services Estimating Conference to be recovered in fiscal year 1997-1998 shall be credited to the trust fund. The purpose of the trust fund is to account for federal incentive payments to the state for child support enforcement and to support the activities of the child support enforcement program under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. The department shall invest the money in the trust fund pursuant to ss. 215.44-215.52, and retain all interest earnings in the trust fund. The department shall separately account for receipts credited to the trust fund. When all general revenue appropriations for the child support enforcement program have been shifted to the trust fund, then annually thereafter, on June 30, if revenues deposited into the trust fund, including federal child support incentive earnings, have exceeded state expenditures for the child support enforcement program administered by the department for the prior 12-month period, the revenues in excess of cash flow needs are transferred to the General Revenue Fund.

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(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301, and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the trust fund and shall be available for carrying out the purposes of the trust fund.

61.1814 Child Support Enforcement Application and Program Revenue Trust Fund. --

(1) The Child Support Enforcement Application and Program Revenue Trust Fund is hereby created, to be administered by the Department of Revenue. The purpose of the trust fund is to account for Title IV-D program income and to support the activities of the child support enforcement program under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. The department shall invest the money in the trust fund pursuant to s. 17.61 and retain all interest earnings in the trust fund. Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301, and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the trust fund and shall be available for carrying out the purposes of the trust fund. In accordance with federal requirements, the federal share of program income shall be credited to the Federal Government.

(2) With the exception of fees required to be deposited in the Clerk of the Court Child Support Enforcement Collection System Trust Fund under s. 61.181(2)(b) and collections determined to be undistributable or unidentifiable under s. 409.2558, the fund shall be used for the deposit of Title IV-D program income received by the department. Each type of program income received shall be accounted for separately. Program income received by the department includes, but is not limited to:

(a) Application fees of nonpublic assistance applicants for child support enforcement services;

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(b) Court-ordered costs recovered from child support obligors;

(c) Interest on child support collections;

(d) The balance of fees received under s. 61.181(2)(a) on non-Title IV-D cases required to be processed through the State Disbursement Unit after the clerk's share is paid; and

(e) Fines imposed under ss. 409.2564(8) and 409.2578.

61.1816 Child Support Clearing Trust Fund. --

(1) The Child Support Clearing Trust Fund is hereby created, to be administered by the Department of Revenue. Funds shall be credited to the trust fund from child support payments. The purpose of the trust fund is to account for child support collections pending distribution to custodial parents and other state trust funds.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of s. 216.301 and pursuant to s. 216.351, any balance in the trust fund at the end of any fiscal year shall remain in the trust fund and shall be available for carrying out the purposes of the trust fund.