How Is Child Support Calculated in Florida?
Florida calculates child support using an “income shares” formula under Florida Statute 61.30. Both parents’ net monthly incomes are combined and matched to a statutory guidelines table to find the basic support amount, which is then divided between the parents in proportion to each parent’s share of the combined income.
The Income Shares Model, Step by Step
Florida’s guiding principle is that a child should receive the same share of parental income they would have received if the parents lived together. The court follows a fixed sequence:
Step 1: Determine each parent’s net monthly income. Gross income includes salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, overtime, tips, self-employment income, disability and workers’ compensation benefits, unemployment, pensions, Social Security, alimony received, interest, dividends, and rental income. From gross income, each parent deducts income taxes, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), mandatory union dues, mandatory retirement contributions, health insurance premiums (excluding the child’s coverage), court-ordered support actually paid for other children, and spousal support paid under a court order (Section 61.30(3)).
Step 2: Combine the two net incomes and look up the “basic child support obligation” on the guidelines table in Statute 61.30(6). For example, at $6,000 in combined monthly net income, the table sets the basic obligation at $1,121 for one child and $1,737 for two children.
Step 3: Split the obligation proportionally. If one parent earns 60% of the combined net income, that parent is responsible for 60% of the support obligation.
Step 4: Add child care and health insurance. Work- or education-related child care costs and the child’s health insurance premiums are added on top of the basic obligation and allocated in the same proportions.
How Time-Sharing Changes the Number
The number of overnights matters. When each parent has the child at least 20% of the overnights per year (73 or more nights), Florida applies the “substantial time-sharing” formula: the basic obligation is multiplied by 1.5, each parent’s share is cross-multiplied by the other parent’s percentage of overnights, and the difference becomes the transfer payment. In practice, the more overnights the paying parent has, the lower the payment, which is one reason time-sharing schedules are negotiated carefully. Since Florida adopted a rebuttable presumption of equal time-sharing in 2023 (Section 61.13(2)(c)1), this adjusted formula may apply in more cases.
Can the Court Order More or Less Than the Guideline?
Yes, within limits. A judge may adjust the guideline amount up or down by 5% after considering factors like the child’s age, standard of living, and each parent’s financial status. Any deviation beyond 5% requires written findings explaining why the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate. Recognized deviation factors include extraordinary medical or educational expenses, a child’s special needs, seasonal income variations, and an obligation that would exceed 55% of the paying parent’s gross income.
If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court can impute income, calculating support based on what that parent could earn given their work history and qualifications, not what they actually earn.
How Long Support Lasts and When It Can Change
Child support in Florida generally runs until the child turns 18, or until high school graduation (no later than 19) if the child is still enrolled and on track to graduate. An existing order can be modified when circumstances change substantially, and the guideline recalculation must differ from the current order by at least 15% or $50, whichever is greater. Courts can also award retroactive support for up to 24 months before the petition was filed.
Child Support in Miami-Dade County
Miami-Dade child support cases are handled by the Family Division of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, with filings through the Miami-Dade Clerk of Courts. Each parent files a financial affidavit, and a child support guidelines worksheet is filed before support is set. Errors in these forms can lead to a wrong support figure, especially with self-employment or seasonal income. Arturo R. Alfonso P.A. has served Miami-Dade families in English and Spanish for 30 years and can run a guidelines calculation for your situation, including time-sharing adjustments. Bring recent pay stubs and tax returns to a consultation and we can review the numbers with you.
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