Minor Child Passport Application Requirements
Under the two parent consent law, as amended in 2008, and as implemented by the United States Department of State, both parents are required to consent to the passport application for a minor U.S. citizen under the age of 16. In the alternative, the applying parent must document his or her sole authority to obtain a passport by producing one of the following: (a) evidence of sole custody, (b) a court order allowing the parent to travel with the child, or © notarized written consent of the other parent or written statement explaining why the non-applying parent's consent cannot be obtained. The minor child must appear in person when applying for the passport. This law in practice is designed to decrease the likelihood that a U.S. passport would be used to facilitate an international parental child abduction.
Online Child Support Payments Available
Last week I attended the Child Support Public Forum sponsored by Ken Burke, Clerk of the Circuit Court, for the Sixth Judicial Circuit. He brought together a panel of people from various backgrounds to focus on getting the public information about child support. At the panel, there were representatives from the State Disbursement Unit, the Attorney General’s Office, the Clerk’s office, the Department of Revenue and private counsel like myself. One question that emerged again and again was where and how to set up online child support payments. If you are interested in this please visit myfloridacounty.com. You will enter your case number and credit card or e-check information. You are then able to process the payment at your convenience without having to add the case and credit card information each time. This system keeps track of the activities that have occurred on your account proving you a history of transactions.
