Quick answer: Florida adds both parents’ net monthly incomes, looks up a minimum child support need in the schedule in Fla. Stat. 61.30(6) by number of children (from $800 to $10,000 of combined net income, with a percentage added above $10,000), splits it in proportion to each parent’s share of the combined income, and adds child care and health insurance. If each parent has the children at least 20 percent of the overnights (73 a year), the substantial time-sharing formula applies instead, which multiplies the need by 1.5 and credits each parent for the other’s time. The guideline amount is presumptive, and the court can vary it by 5 percent after considering the relevant factors.
How the Florida guidelines work
- Net income. Gross income from the sources listed in the statute, less taxes, FICA or self-employment tax, mandatory union dues and retirement payments, health insurance for the parent, support paid for other children and spousal support paid. See what income and deductions count.
- Minimum need. The schedule amount for the combined net income and the number of children.
- Each parent’s share is his or her net income divided by the combined net income.
- Add-ons. Child care needed for work or education, and health insurance and uninsured medical costs for the children, are added, and what a parent already pays is credited.
- Time-sharing. At 73 overnights or more for both parents the formula changes. See the 20 percent time-sharing rule.
The full walk-through, with a worked example, is in how Florida calculates child support.
Low and high incomes
If the combined net income is under $800, the court orders a case-by-case amount, and the obligor’s payment is the lesser of his or her share and 90 percent of the difference between his or her net income and the federal poverty guideline for one person. Above $10,000, the obligation is the schedule’s amount at $10,000 plus 5.0 percent of the excess for one child, 7.5 for two, 9.5 for three, 11.0 for four, 12.0 for five and 12.5 for six. The court can also adjust when the guideline would require one parent to pay more than 55 percent of his or her gross income in a single support order.
Child support across Florida
The guidelines apply in every Florida circuit court, from Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee or Fort Lauderdale. Every petition for child support or modification must be accompanied by an affidavit showing income, allowable deductions and net income, and the court’s worksheet is Form 12.902(e). A guideline change counts as a substantial change for modification only if the difference is at least 15 percent or $50, whichever is greater.
Frequently asked questions
How is child support calculated in Florida?
Florida adds both parents' net monthly incomes, finds the minimum need in the schedule in Fla. Stat. 61.30(6), splits it in proportion to income, adds child care and health insurance, and credits what each parent already pays. A different formula applies when each parent has at least 20 percent of the overnights.
What is the 20 percent rule for Florida child support?
If each parent has the children at least 20 percent of the overnights (73 a year), the court uses the substantial time-sharing formula, which multiplies the minimum need by 1.5 and credits each parent for the other parent's time.
Can Florida child support differ from the guideline?
The court may vary the guideline amount by 5 percent after considering the relevant factors, and by more only with a written finding that the guideline would be unjust or inappropriate.
What if combined income is over $10,000 in Florida?
The obligation is the schedule amount at $10,000 plus a percentage of the income above $10,000: 5.0 percent for one child, 7.5 for two, 9.5 for three, 11.0 for four, 12.0 for five and 12.5 for six.
How much must a Florida guideline change before child support can be modified?
The difference between the existing obligation and the guideline amount must be at least 15 percent or $50, whichever is greater.