State, Department of Revenue ex rel. Powell v. Feeney

QUINCE, Judge.

The Florida Department of Revenue (the department) and Jeannine Powell, the child’s mother, challenge the trial court’s determination in a paternity action of a child support amount that is a downward departure from the guidelines. We reverse because the trial court abused its discretion in setting a child support amount that is more than a 5% deviation from the guideline amount and because the trial court’s reason for the deviation, support of a subsequent child, cannot be used as a factor in this initial proceeding to determine child support.

On November 1, 1994, the department…