Top-rated Florida child support lawyers experienced in every aspect of family law and serving all of Florida.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimate for informational purposes only, based on the guidelines in Florida Statute 61.13, the “Child Support Guidelines” in Florida Statute 61.30, and the official Form 12.902(e). It is not legal advice. The final child support amount is determined by a court and can be affected by many factors not included here. Always consult a qualified Florida attorney for legal advice.
Child Support Calculation Inputs
Parent A (Petitioner)
Parent B (Respondent)
Child Information & Shared Costs
Your Next Step is Crucial
This calculator provides a valuable estimate, but it cannot replace a personalized legal strategy. Understand how a court will view the unique factors of your case.
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How Child Support is Calculated in Florida
Florida law follows the “Income Shares Model” to ensure children receive support from both parents in proportion to their income. The calculation follows the official Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (Form 12.902(e)).
- Determine Net Income: The monthly net income of each parent is calculated by subtracting allowable deductions from their gross income. Net income is your gross income minus allowable deductions, including income taxes, health insurance premiums, mandatory retirement payments, and court-ordered support for other children.
- Find Basic Obligation: The parents’ net incomes are combined, and this total is cross-referenced with the number of children on the state’s official Child Support Guidelines Schedule to find a “basic monthly obligation.”
- Add Shared Costs: The monthly costs of childcare and the child’s portion of health insurance are added to the basic obligation.
- Calculate Each Parent’s Share: Each parent is assigned a percentage of the total obligation based on their share of the combined net income.
- Adjust for Timesharing: If each parent has the child for at least 20% of the overnights in a year (73 nights), a more complex “Gross Up Method” is applied to adjust the final payment amount based on the timesharing schedule.
Your Estimate is the First Step
This number provides a baseline, but a court considers many factors. A confidential discussion is essential to build a strategy around your family’s specific financial situation.
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Calculating Child Support in Florida
Estimating child support in Florida can feel daunting, especially when you’re already working through a divorce or separation. The good news is that Florida uses clear child support guidelines to help determine support, and a Florida child support calculator can help you get an idea of what to expect.
Still, every family is different. Your financial situation, parenting schedule, and other important details all play a role in your child support calculation.
At Vasquez de Lara Law Group, our team has over two decades of experience helping parents navigate divorce and child support in Florida. No matter your situation — whether you’re starting child support for the first time or seeking a change to an existing order — we can provide the guidance and advocacy you need to help protect your child’s best interests.
If you have questions or need legal guidance, schedule a free case evaluation to discuss your options.
Below, you’ll also learn more about how child support is calculated in Florida, what factors influence the amount, and when working with an experienced Florida child support attorney can make a difference.
What Is the New Child Support Law in Florida?
Florida hasn’t created a brand-new child support law. Instead, courts still rely on the existing guidelines found in Florida Statutes 61.30 when calculating support. Recent minor updates have mostly focused on how paternity is handled and how parenting time is factored into child support calculations.
How Do You Calculate Child Support in Florida?
How much is child support in Florida? Child support in Florida varies by person and is calculated using the official Child Support Guidelines Worksheet (Form 12.902(e)). Florida law uses strict guidelines and follows the Income Shares Model to ensure children receive financial support from both parents in proportion to their incomes. Here’s how the total is ultimately determined:
- Determine net income: Each parent’s monthly net income is calculated by subtracting deductions — like income taxes and health insurance premiums — from their gross income.
- Find the basic obligation: The parents’ combined monthly net incomes are then cross-referenced with the number of children in the state’s official Child Support Guidelines Schedule to determine the “basic monthly obligation.”
- Add shared child-related costs: Monthly childcare expenses and the child’s share of health insurance costs are added to the basic obligation. Certain non-covered medical, dental, and prescription expenses may also be considered.
- Calculate each parent’s share: Each parent is responsible for a percentage of the total obligation based on their share of the combined monthly net income.
- Adjust for timesharing: If each parent has the child for at least 20% of the annual overnights (73 or more nights per year), Florida applies a more complex gross-up method, which adjusts the final payment amount (the obligation) based on the timesharing schedule.
- Potential adjustment: A judge might adjust the guideline amount by up to 5% after considering the circumstances, but a larger deviation than that would require specific written findings explaining why the guideline amount would be unjust or inappropriate.
Example:
Let’s assume the following:
- Parent A (the Petitioner) earns $60,000 annually (about $4,100 in monthly net income).
- Parent A has the children for 265 nights a year.
- Parent B (the Respondent) has the children 100 nights a year.
- Childcare costs are $1,000 per child, per month.
- Health insurance costs are $200 per child, per month.
Based on these assumptions, here’s a rough idea of what Parent B might expect to pay in child support, depending on their income and how many children they have, using our child support calculator for Florida:
Estimated Monthly Child Support in Florida (Illustrative Estimates)
Number of Children
$52,000 Annual Income
(~$3,300/month, net)
$70,000 Annual Income
(~$4,300/month, net)
$100,000 Annual Income
(~$5,800/month, net)
One Child
$182.34
$491.53
$874.24
Two Children
$354.19
$746.42
$1,242.05
Three Children
$476.45
$928.34
$1,505.63
Four Children
$553.55
$1,042.45
$1,669.80
$52,000 Annual Income (~$3,300/month, net)
1 Child = $182.34
2 Children = $354.19
3 Children = $476.45
4 Children = $553.55
$70,000 Annual Income (~$4,300/month, net)
1 Child = $491.53
2 Children = $746.52
3 Children = $928.34
4 Children = $1,042.45
$100,000 Annual Income (~$5,800/month, net)
1 Child = $874.25
2 Children = $1,242.05
3 Children = $1,505.63
4 Children = $1,669.80
*The table above is intended to provide illustrative examples, but it cannot replace a personalized legal strategy. Schedule a free case evaluation to understand your options.
Factors a Florida Court May Consider for Child Support
A Florida child support calculator can provide what’s known as a “presumptive” amount based on the standard guidelines, but a judge is required to consider specific circumstances and can deviate from this amount. According to Florida Statute 61.30, a court must evaluate all the relevant factors to ensure a fair outcome, including:
- The financial resources and needs of the child.
- The financial resources and needs of both parents.
- The standard of living the child would have enjoyed had the marriage not been dissolved.
- The physical and emotional condition of the child and any special needs they may have.
- The individual parenting plan and timesharing schedule.
- All sources of income available to each parent.
Florida Child Support Guidelines
Under Florida law, the Child Support Guidelines are built on several public policy principles, including:
- Each parent has a fundamental obligation to support their minor or legally dependent child.
- Support is calculated based on the combined net income of both parents, reflecting the financial resources that would have been available if the family had remained intact.
- The guidelines are intended to promote fairness and efficiency in resolving child support disputes while minimizing unnecessary litigation.
- The guidelines generally don’t apply to support for dependent adult children, which is addressed separately.
If you and the other parent can’t agree on child support, an experienced family law attorney can help you understand Florida’s guidelines, gather and present accurate financial information, and work toward a fair outcome. Because child support calculations can get complicated quickly, having legal guidance can make a huge difference — especially in contested divorce cases.
If you’re trying to figure out child support in Miami-Dade County or Broward County, our Florida child support lawyers are here to help. Schedule a free case evaluation today to take the next step.
What Happens in a Child Support Case in Florida?
A child support case in Florida is typically handled through an administrative process — often through the Florida Department of Revenue — rather than a traditional divorce-style court case. While it can become court-involved in some situations, many cases follow a structured administrative path with strict deadlines and enforcement rules.
Step 1: Case Is Opened
A child support case usually begins when a parent requests services through the Department of Revenue or when the state opens a case.
Step 2: Notice Is Sent by Mail
The noncustodial parent is served with official notice by regular mail and generally has 20 days to respond — so checking your mail regularly is critical.
Step 3: Financial Information Is Collected
Both parents will usually need to submit financial disclosures in order to help determine the child support amount under Florida’s guidelines.
Step 4: Administrative Conference or Hearing
The Florida Department of Revenue may schedule a conference or hearing to calculate child support under the state’s guidelines if the parents can’t agree.
NOTE: At Vasquez de Lara Law Group, our team of experienced family law attorneys can help with child support trials and court hearings in both Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, as well as with non-litigation child custody issues across Florida.
Step 5: Child Support Order Is Entered
Once child support is calculated, the court or agency will issue an official order outlining the details of the order. Payments will usually be deducted from the paying parent’s paycheck through income withholding.
Step 6: Enforcement Begins if Payments Aren’t Made
If a parent falls behind on child support payments, there are several enforcement tools in place to help collect overdue support. Depending on the circumstances, this could include solutions like income withholding or driver’s license suspension.
When Does Child Support End in Florida?
A parent’s legal obligation to pay child support doesn’t always terminate on a child’s 18th birthday. According to Florida law, the obligation ends when the child:
- Turns 18, unless an exception applies, such as if the child is still dependent and is still attending high school, at which point child support ends at graduation.
- Turns 19 or graduates from high school, whichever occurs first, if the child is still in high school and has a reasonable expectation of graduating
- Becomes emancipated by marrying, joining the armed services, or by court order
- Passes away
Support may continue past the standard termination period if the child has a mental or physical disability that began before they turned 18, rendering them dependent.
Can Child Support Be Changed or Modified?
A Florida court can modify child support, but only if there’s been a substantial and unexpected change in circumstances.
Common reasons a court may approve a modification include:
- A significant, involuntary change in either parent’s income
- A major change in the timesharing schedule
- A change in the child’s needs, such as a new medical condition
- A significant increase or decrease in health insurance or childcare costs
Child Support Resources
FAQs: Child Support in Florida
There isn’t a fixed “minimum” child support amount in Florida, and it isn’t based on gender. Instead, child support is calculated using a state guideline formula that considers things like:
- Both parents’ net incomes
- The number of children
- Health insurance
- Childcare
- Timesharing
In Florida, child support isn’t automatically eliminated just because parents share 50/50 timesharing. In many 50/50 arrangements, the higher-earning parent may still need to pay child support to help maintain a more consistent standard of living for the child between both homes. However, if the parents have similar incomes and expenses, the support amount may be minimal — or, in some cases, there may be no support obligation at all.
There’s no set number of missed child support payments that automatically leads to a warrant in Florida. Instead, enforcement usually happens in stages:
- Administrative enforcement: The Florida Department of Revenue’s Child Support Enforcement program may try administrative tools, like tax refund interception, to encourage compliance.
- Court action if needed: If enforcement efforts fail, the other parent or the state might file a motion for contempt, which would require the nonpaying parent to appear in court and explain the missed payments.
- Contempt finding: If the court finds that the failure to pay was willful — meaning the person had the ability to pay but chose not to — or if they fail to appear altogether, they could incur serious consequences, including jail time.
Past-due child support (arrears) continues to accumulate and generally can’t be reduced after the fact. An arrest typically results only after court action, not simply because payments are late.
Florida child support is calculated based on each parent’s net income, not gross income. That means the court will start with their gross income and then subtract allowable deductions, such as income taxes and required retirement contributions.
Florida calculates child support based on each parent’s net monthly income, including both earned and unearned income from various sources — not just wages. While the law allows courts to consider additional income when appropriate, these are the primary types of income specifically included:
- Wages and salary
- Bonuses, commissions, allowances, overtime pay, and tips
- Self-employment and business income
- Disability benefits
- Workers’ compensation benefits and settlements
- Unemployment benefits
- Pension, retirement, and annuity payments
- Social Security benefits
- Alimony
- Interest and dividend income
- Rental income
- Income from royalties, trusts, and estates
- Reimbursed expenses or in-kind benefits that reduce living expenses
- Gains from property transactions
A private agreement between parents to waive child support isn’t enforceable. In Florida, parents can’t enforce an agreement like this if doing so would deprive the child of support. Child support is considered the right of the child, not the parents, so the courts will have the final say.
The information provided on this page, including the results from the calculator and the explanations of legal standards, is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The application of the law is highly dependent on the specific facts of your case. For advice tailored to your situation, please consult with a qualified attorney.
This tool is based on the text of Florida Statute 61.30 and Form 12.902(e). Laws are subject to change.
Trusted Guidance for Your Florida Child Support Case
You don’t have to navigate the logistics of child support alone. Whether you have questions about your legal rights, want to calculate child support, or need help reviewing Florida child support guidelines, Vasquez de Lara Law Group is here to help. Our experienced family law attorneys have guided thousands of South Florida families through this process.
The first step is a free case evaluation to help you understand your options. Fill out the online form or give us a call to get started. Hablamos Español.
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This page has been reviewed for legal accuracy by Vanessa Vasquez de Lara, Esq.