JAYSON CRUZ
v.
DEPARMENT OF REVENUE- CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM AND JOCELYN LORENZO

Fla. 4th DCA | 2025-10-08
No. 2024-2179
Gross, J., Gerber, J., Shullman, Sarah L., Associate Judge
2025 FL 8809 Florida District Court of Appeal, Fourth District (2025)

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Holding

Social security disability dependent benefits received by minor children due to a parent's disability must be attributed to that parent's gross income and credited toward that parent's child support obligation, not to the other parent's income.


Headnotes

[1] Social security disability dependent benefits received by a minor child due to a parent's disability must be included in that parent's gross income for child support calc…

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Key Quotes

“Social security benefits received by a minor child due to the retirement or disability of the child's parent shall be included in the parent's gross income.”

Citation to § 61.30(2)(d), Fla. Stat. (2024), explaining the statutory basis for the reversal.

Facts & Procedural History

Jayson Cruz appealed a final administrative child support order establishing his child support obligation. The administrative court had misattributed …

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Per_curiam
Per Curiam

DISTRICT COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA

FOURTH DISTRICT

JAYSON CRUZ, Appellant,

v.

DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE CHILD SUPPORT PROGRAM and JOCELYN LORENZO, Appellees.

No. 4D2024-2179

[October 8, 2025]

Appeal from the State of Florida, Department of Revenue; L.T. Case Nos. 2001392530 and 06240000591CA.

Jayson Cruz, Hollywood, pro se.

James Uthmeier, Attorney General, Tallahassee, and Sarah C. Prieto, Assistant Attorney General, Fort Lauderdale, for appellee Department of Revenue.

PER CURIAM.

Appellant Jayson Cruz (“the father”) timely appeals the Department of Revenue’s final administrative support order establishing his child support obligation in this matter. The Department filed a confession of error on the basis that the administrative court had misattributed the children’s social security disability dependent benefits to the mother’s income, when the benefits should have been attributed to the father’s income and credited toward his monthly support obligation. See § 61.30(2)(d), Fla. Stat. (2024) (“Social security benefits received by a minor child due to the retirement or disability of the child’s parent shall be included in the parent’s gross income.”). We accept the Department’s confession of error, reverse the final order, and remand for recalculation and further proceedings. We affirm without discussion as to the father’s second argument.

Reversed in part and remanded for further proceedings.

GROSS, GERBER, JJ., and SHULLMAN, SARAH L., Associate Judge, concur.

2

* * *

Not final until disposition of timely-filed motion for rehearing.


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