Florida Form 12.903e

Florida Form 12.903(e) - Answer to Supplemental Petition

When should this form be used?

Form 12.903e should be used when you are responding to a supplemental petition for modification of custody or visitation, child support, or alimony.

This form is used to admit or deny all of the allegations in the supplemental petition if you do not plan to file a counterpetition.

There is no form for a counterpetition to a supplemental petition in these Family Law Forms.

If you want to file a counterpetition to a supplemental petition you will need to either seek legal assistance or create a form yourself.

You may construct an answer and counterpetition using the pertinent sections contained in:

• Answer to Petition and Counterpetition for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.903(c)(1), or

• Answer to Petition and Counterpetition for Dissolution of Marriage with Property but No Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.903(c)(2).

Form 12.903e should be typed or printed in black ink. After completing this form, you should sign the form 12.903e before a notary public or deputy clerk.

You should file the original form 12.903e with the clerk of the circuit court in the county where the case was filed and keep a copy for your records.

This must be done within 20 days of receiving the supplemental petition.

Download Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.903e

What should I do next?

A copy of form 12.903e, along with all of the other forms required with this form 12.903e answer, must be mailed or hand delivered to the other party in your case.

Regardless of whether you file a counterpetition, you have 20 days to answer after being served with the other party's supplemental petition.

After you file your form 12.903e answer, the case will generally proceed in one of the following two ways:

UNCONTESTED... If you file a form 12.903e answer that agrees with everything in the other party's supplemental petition and you have complied with mandatory disclosure and filed all of the required papers, either party may call the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant to set a final hearing.

If you request the hearing, you must notify the other party of the hearing by using a Notice of Hearing (General), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.923, or other appropriate notice of hearing form.

CONTESTED... If you file a form 12.903e answer which disagrees with or denies anything in the supplemental petition, and you are unable to settle the disputed issues, either party may file a Notice for Trial, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.924, after you have complied with mandatory disclosure and filed all of the required papers.

Some circuits may require the completion of mediation before a final hearing may be set.

If you request the hearing, you should contact the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant for instructions on how to set your case for trial (final hearing).

Where can I look for more information?

Before proceeding with your form 12.903e answer, you should read General Information for Self-Represented Litigants found at the beginning of these forms.

Download General Information for Self-represented Litigants.

The words that are in *bold underline* in these instructions are defined there. For further information, see chapter 61, Florida Statutes.

Special notes (form 12.903e)...

With form 12.903e, you must also file the following:

• Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) Affidavit, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(d), if the case involves child(ren).

• Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(e), if child support is an issue. If you do not know the other party's income, you may file this worksheet after his or her financial affidavit has been served on you.

• Settlement Agreement, if you have reached an agreement on any or all of the issues.

Although there is no form for this in these Florida Family Law Forms, you may construct a settlement agreement using the pertinent sections contained in:

• Marital Settlement Agreement for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(f)(1), or

• Marital Settlement Agreement for Dissolution of Marriage with No Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(f)(2).

• Notice of Social Security Number, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(j), if not previously filed.

• Family Law Financial Affidavit, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(b) or (c).

This must be filed within 45 days of service of the supplemental petition on you, if not filed at the time you file your answer.

• Certificate of Compliance with Mandatory Disclosure, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.932.

This must be filed within 45 days of service of the supplemental petition on you, if not filed at the time of you file your answer, unless you and the other party have agreed not to exchange these documents.

Child Custody (form 12.903e)...

If this case involves child custody issue and if you and the other party are unable to agree about with whom the child(ren) will live most of the time, a judge will decide for you.

The judge will decide the parenting arrangements based on the child(ren)'s best interests. Regardless of whether there is an agreement, the court reserves jurisdiction to modify issues relating to the minor child(ren).

The judge may request a parenting evaluation or appoint a guardian ad litem in your case. This means that a neutral person will review your situation and report to the judge concerning parenting issues. The purpose of such intervention is to be sure that the best interests of the child(ren) is (are) being served.

For more information, you may consult section 61.13, Florida Statutes.

Some circuits may require the completion of a parenting course before a final hearing may be set.

You should contact the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant about requirements for parenting courses or mediation where you live.

Listed below are some terms with which you should become familiar before completing your answer to supplemental petition form 12.903e.

If you do not fully understand any of the terms below or their implications, you should speak with an attorney before going any further.

• Shared Parental Responsibility • Sole Parental Responsibility • Rotating Custody • Primary Residential Responsibility • Secondary Residential Responsibility • Reasonable visitation • Specified visitation • Supervised visitation • No contact

Child Support (form 12.903e)...

If this case involves child support issues, the court may order one parent to pay child support to assist the other parent in meeting the child(ren)'s material needs.

Both parents are required to provide financial support, but one parent may be ordered to pay a portion of his or her support for the child(ren) to the other parent.

Florida has adopted guidelines for determining the amount of child support to be paid. These guidelines are based on the combined income of both parents and take into account the financial contributions of both parents.

You must file a Family Law Financial Affidavit, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(b) or (c), and the other parent will be required to do the same.

From your financial affidavits, you should be able to calculate the amount of child support that should be paid using the Child Support Guidelines Worksheet, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.902(e).

Because the child support guidelines take several factors into consideration, change over time, and vary from state to state, your child support obligation may be more or less than that of other people in seemingly similar situations.

Temporary Relief (form 12.903e)...

If you need temporary relief regarding parental responsibility and visitation with child(ren), child support or alimony, you may file:

• a Motion for Temporary Support with Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.947(a) or,

• if you need temporary relief regarding alimony and there are no dependent or minor child(ren), you may file a Motion for Temporary Support with No Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.947(c).

For more information, see the instructions for these forms.

Settlement Agreement (form 12.903e)...

If you and the other party are able to reach an agreement on any or all of the issues, you should file a Settlement Agreement.

Although there is no form for this in these Florida Family Law Forms, you may construct a settlement agreement using the pertinent sections contained in:

• Marital Settlement Agreement for Dissolution of Marriage with Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(f)(1), or

• Marital Settlement Agreement for Dissolution of Marriage with No Dependent or Minor Child(ren), Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.902(f)(2).

Both parties must sign this agreement before a notary public or deputy clerk.

Any issues on which you are unable to agree will be considered contested and settled by the judge at the final hearing.

Final Judgment Form (form 12.903e)...

These family law forms contain:

• a Supplemental Final Judgment Modifying Parental Responsibility/Visitation, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.993(a),

• a Supplemental Final Judgment Modifying Child Support, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.993(b), and

• a Supplemental Final Judgment Modifying Alimony, Florida Supreme Court Approved Family Law Form 12.993(c), which the judge may use, as appropriate.

You should check with the clerk, family law intake staff, or judicial assistant to see if you need to bring a final judgment with you to the hearing.

If so, you should type or print the heading, including the circuit, county, case number, division, and the parties' names, and leave the rest blank for the judge to complete at your hearing or trial.

Can a Nonlawyer Prepare These Forms?

Remember, a person who is NOT an attorney is called a nonlawyer.

If a nonlawyer helps you fill out these forms, that person must give you a copy of a Disclosure from Nonlawyer, Florida Family Law Rules of Procedure Form 12.900(a), before he or she helps you.

A nonlawyer helping you fill out these forms also must put his or her name, address, and telephone number on the bottom of the last page of every form he or she helps you complete.

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