Florida Child Support Laws (2026): Guidelines & Calculator

Florida calculates child support using the Income Shares Model under Fla. Stat. § 61.30. Courts combine both parents' net incomes, look up the minimum support amount on the guidelines schedule, then split that amount in proportion to each parent's share of combined net income. Use the Florida child support calculator below to estimate a guideline amount, or open the full-page Florida child support calculator for a detailed breakdown.

How Florida Determines Child Support

Florida calculates child support using the Income Shares Model. This approach estimates what both parents would have collectively spent on their children if the family remained in one household. The court then divides that amount between the parents based on each parent's share of combined net income.

The governing statute is Fla. Stat. § 61.30, which sets out the guidelines schedule, allowable deductions, and deviation factors. Additional provisions for support obligations and health insurance appear in Fla. Stat. § 61.13.

Step-by-Step Calculation Process

Florida courts follow a structured process to arrive at a child support amount:

1. Determine each parent's gross income from all sources.
2. Subtract allowable deductions to arrive at each parent's net income.
3. Combine both parents' net incomes.
4. Look up the minimum child support need on the guidelines schedule based on combined income and number of children.
5. Calculate each parent's percentage share of combined income.
6. Multiply the minimum support need by each parent's percentage.
7. Adjust for childcare costs, health insurance premiums, and time-sharing arrangements.

The result is the presumptive child support amount. Courts can deviate from this amount, but they need specific reasons to do so.

What Counts as Gross Income

Under Fla. Stat. § 61.30(2), gross income includes nearly every source of money a parent receives:

• Salary, wages, bonuses, commissions, and tips
• Business income (gross receipts minus ordinary and necessary business expenses)
• Disability and workers' compensation benefits
• Unemployment compensation
• Pension, retirement, and Social Security benefits
• Spousal support received from a previous marriage
• Interest, dividends, and rental income
• Royalties, trusts, and estate income
• Reimbursed expenses or in-kind benefits that reduce personal living expenses

Public assistance benefits (such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) are excluded from gross income calculations.

Imputed Income

If a parent is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed, the court may impute income based on that parent's earning capacity. Under Fla. Stat. § 61.30(2)(b), the court determines that parent's employment potential and probable earnings level based on his or her recent work history, occupational qualifications, and the prevailing earnings level in the community, if that information is available.

The median-income presumption is a fallback, not the default. Income is automatically imputed, with a rebuttable presumption that the parent has income equivalent to the median income of year-round full-time workers as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau, only when information about a parent's income is unavailable, a parent fails to participate in the child support proceeding, or a parent fails to supply adequate financial information. A voluntarily underemployed parent with a documented work history should expect the court to reason from that history and local earnings data rather than default to the median figure.

Incarceration may not be treated as voluntary unemployment in establishing or modifying a support order, although the court may deviate from the guideline amount.

Allowable Deductions

To calculate net income, parents subtract the following from gross income:

• Federal, state, and local income taxes (based on filing status and allowable dependents)
• Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) and self-employment taxes
• Mandatory union dues and mandatory retirement contributions
• Health insurance premiums (excluding the portion covering the child)
• Court-ordered support payments for other children that are actually being paid
• Court-ordered spousal support from a previous marriage that is actually being paid

Voluntary deductions, such as elective 401(k) contributions beyond mandatory amounts, are generally not subtracted.

The Guidelines Schedule

Florida's guidelines schedule in Fla. Stat. § 61.30(6) provides the minimum child support need based on combined monthly net income and the number of children. The table below reflects the current 2025 schedule:

For combined monthly net incomes above $10,000, the court applies the $10,000 schedule amount plus a percentage of the income exceeding $10,000. Those percentages are:

• 1 child: 5% of excess income
• 2 children: 7.5% of excess income
• 3 children: 9.5% of excess income
• 4 children: 11% of excess income
• 5 children: 12% of excess income
• 6 children: 12.5% of excess income

There is no statutory maximum. The guidelines scale upward based on actual combined income.

Time-Sharing Adjustments

Florida law adjusts the child support calculation when a parent exercises at least 20% of overnights with the child. That threshold equals approximately 73 nights per year.

The adjustment formula under Fla. Stat. § 61.30(11)(b) works as follows:

1. Calculate each parent's base support obligation (before adding childcare and health insurance costs).
2. Multiply each parent's obligation by 1.5.
3. Determine each parent's percentage of overnight stays.
4. Multiply each parent's adjusted obligation by the other parent's percentage of overnights.
5. Subtract the smaller amount from the larger. The difference is the support transfer amount.
6. Add each parent's share of childcare and health insurance costs.

This adjustment recognizes that parents incur direct expenses (food, utilities, transportation) when children are in their care. Parents with substantial time-sharing typically pay less in support than the basic calculation alone would produce.

Health Insurance Requirements

Every Florida child support order must include a provision for health insurance coverage for the child, per Fla. Stat. § 61.13(1)(b). Health insurance is presumed reasonable in cost if the incremental cost of adding the child does not exceed 5% of the responsible parent's gross income.

If health insurance costs exceed that 5% threshold, the court may still order coverage but must make a written finding explaining why the deviation is appropriate. The parent providing coverage receives a credit in the child support calculation for the child's share of the premium.

Noncovered medical, dental, and prescription expenses are divided between the parents in proportion to their respective shares of combined net income.

When Courts Can Deviate from the Guidelines

Florida courts can adjust child support by up to 5% from the guidelines amount without a written explanation, as long as they consider all relevant factors. For deviations greater than 5%, the court must issue a written finding explaining why the guidelines amount would be unjust or inappropriate.

Deviation factors under Fla. Stat. § 61.30(11)(a) include:

• Extraordinary medical, psychological, educational, or dental expenses
• Independent income of the child
• The obligee parent's low income and ability to maintain the basic necessities of the home
• Whether seasonal variations in a parent's income affect the support amount
• The age of the child, taking into account greater needs of older children
• Special needs such as costs for a child with a disability
• Total available assets of each parent and the child
• The impact of IRS dependency exemptions and tax credits
• Whether either parent will actually exercise the court-ordered time-sharing schedule

The court weighs these factors on a case-by-case basis.

Modifying a Child Support Order

Florida allows modification of an existing child support order when there is a substantial change in circumstances. The difference between the current order and a new guidelines calculation must meet one of these thresholds:

• At least 15% of the current order, OR
• At least $50, whichever is greater

Common Grounds for Modification

• A significant increase or decrease in either parent's income
• Changes in childcare or health insurance expenses
• Termination or modification of alimony
• Changes in the time-sharing arrangement
• A child's changed needs (medical condition, educational requirements)
• A parent's failure to exercise the court-ordered time-sharing schedule (when not caused by the other parent)

When a parent fails to exercise their time-sharing as ordered, the court may modify support retroactive to when the failure began.

How to File for Modification

To petition for a modification, a parent files a Supplemental Petition for Modification at the circuit court clerk's office in the county where the current order was entered. The Florida Courts website provides the required child support guidelines worksheet and related forms.

Modifications generally take effect from the date the petition is filed, not from the date circumstances changed. Filing promptly after a qualifying change matters.

Retroactive Child Support

In initial child support determinations (such as paternity actions or first-time petitions), the court can award support retroactive to when the parents stopped living together. However, the retroactive period cannot exceed 24 months before the filing date.

The court applies the guidelines schedule in effect at the time of the hearing and considers any voluntary payments the obligor already made during the retroactive period.

Establishing Paternity for Child Support

Before a court can order child support from an unmarried father, paternity must be legally established. Florida law under Chapter 742 provides several paths:

• Voluntary Acknowledgment: Both parents sign a notarized acknowledgment of paternity at the hospital or later.
• Administrative Order: The Florida Department of Revenue can establish paternity through genetic testing as part of the child support enforcement process.
• Court Action: Either parent (or the child) can file a paternity action in circuit court. The court can order genetic testing, and test results showing a probability of paternity of 95% or greater create a rebuttable presumption of paternity.

Once paternity is established, the court can order temporary child support even while the case is still pending, provided there is clear and convincing evidence of parentage.

How to Pay, Receive, and Check Florida Child Support

Florida payments go through the State Disbursement Unit (SDU). The Department of Revenue payment page lists several ways to pay, and most of them need your 13-digit depository number (a county code followed by your court case number) or your case number:

• Electronic check at the SDU Smart ePay website: no fee, about 2 business days.
• Credit or debit card at Smart ePay, or credit card by phone at 877-769-0251 (option 5): a 2.5% fee applies.
• Cash at a Walmart MoneyCenter (biller name "Florida SDU"): a $2 fee applies.
• Mail to Florida State Disbursement Unit, P.O. Box 8500, Tallahassee, FL 32314-8500.

The same page lists other methods, such as Pay by Text and PayKidz, with their own fees, so review it before choosing.

If you receive support, Florida requires electronic payment. You can choose direct deposit or the smiONE Visa Prepaid Card. If you make no choice, the state sends a card, and it no longer sends paper checks. Direct deposit is set up with a paper application and a voided check or bank letter, and can take up to 5 business days to become active after the form is received.

To check a case, parents with an open case can view case information and payment history through a Child Support eServices account. The SDU Customer Service line is 1-877-769-0251, and the program's general line is 850-488-KIDS (5437), weekdays from 7:30 am to 5 pm Eastern time (Miami-Dade County: 1-305-530-2600), per the program home page.

Enforcement of Child Support Orders

Florida provides extensive enforcement tools through both the Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program and the courts.

Administrative Enforcement

The Department of Revenue can pursue the following remedies without going to court:

• Income withholding: Wages garnished directly from the employer
• Tax refund interception: Federal and state refunds seized when $500 or more is owed
• Lottery winnings seizure: Amounts over $600 intercepted
• Bank account levy: Funds seized when $600 or more is owed
• Property liens: Placed on real estate and vehicles
• Passport denial: Reported to the U.S. State Department when arrears exceed $2,500
• Credit reporting: Delinquencies reported to credit bureaus

License Suspension

Florida runs two separate license-suspension tracks, and they operate on different clocks.

Under Fla. Stat. § 409.2598, the Department of Revenue can initiate suspension of a delinquent parent's professional, occupational, business, and recreational licenses, including hunting and fishing licenses. That statute defines a "license" as written permission issued by a licensing agency to engage in an occupation, business, trade, or profession, or to engage in a recreational activity, so it does not reach driver licenses. The parent receives a notice of noncompliance and has 30 days to comply with the support order, enter a written agreement with the department, or contest the action by filing a petition in circuit court.

Driver licenses and motor vehicle registrations are suspended under a different statute, Fla. Stat. § 61.13016, which runs on a shorter clock. Once an obligor is 15 days delinquent on a support payment, the Department of Revenue may send a notice of intent to suspend. The parent then has 20 days after the notice is mailed to pay the delinquency, enter a written agreement, comply with the underlying order, or file a petition to contest. Otherwise the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is notified to suspend the driver license and motor vehicle registration. A notice of intent to suspend leaves only those 20 days, so ask a Florida family lawyer in a free case evaluation whether to contest it or negotiate a written agreement (attorney advertising).

Court Enforcement (Contempt)

A custodial parent or the Department of Revenue can file a motion for civil contempt. If the court finds the parent willfully failed to pay despite having the ability to do so, penalties include:

• Incarceration for up to one year per violation
• Purge conditions (the parent can be released upon making a specified payment)
• Attorney's fees and court costs

Criminal Penalties

Under Fla. Stat. § 827.06, willful failure to provide support is a first-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

The charge escalates to a third-degree felony on the fourth or subsequent violation, or when the parent owes $5,000 or more in arrears accumulated over more than one year. A third-degree felony carries up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. Upon conviction, the court orders restitution equal to the total unpaid support.

How Long Arrears Stay Collectible

Past-due support does not expire when the child grows up. Each support payment that comes due and goes unpaid becomes, after notice to the obligor and the time for response, a final judgment by operation of law under Fla. Stat. § 61.14(6)(a). In Title IV-D cases, Fla. Stat. § 61.14(10)(a) requires an obligor whose current support obligation ends at the child's emancipation to keep paying at the same rate in effect immediately before emancipation until all arrearages, retroactive support, delinquencies, and costs are paid in full or the order is modified.

Administrative enforcement by the Department of Revenue is therefore not cut off by the child reaching majority. A separate civil action on a judgment is a different question: under Fla. Stat. § 95.11(1), an action on a judgment or decree of a Florida court of record must be brought within 20 years.

When Does Child Support End in Florida?

Florida child support typically terminates when the child:

• Turns 18, OR
• Turns 19 if still enrolled in high school, performing in good faith, and reasonably expected to graduate before age 19, OR
• Becomes legally emancipated, OR
• Marries, OR
• Joins the armed forces

Support may continue indefinitely for a child who is mentally or physically incapacitated and dependent on the parent.

Emancipation in Florida

A minor in Florida can petition for emancipation under Fla. Stat. § 743.015. Requirements include:

• The minor is at least 16 years old
• The minor is financially self-sufficient or has a plan for self-support
• The court determines emancipation serves the minor's best interest

Once a child is legally emancipated, the parent's child support obligation ends.

Termination Date in the Order

Florida law requires that every child support order specify the exact month, day, and year that support terminates or is reduced (for example, when one child in a multi-child order ages out). Parents do not need to file a separate motion to stop payments on the termination date if the order already includes it.

Applying for Child Support Services

Parents who need help establishing, collecting, or enforcing child support can contact the Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program. Services include:

• Locating an absent parent
• Establishing paternity through genetic testing
• Obtaining an initial child support order
• Enforcing an existing order
• Modifying an existing order when circumstances change

These services are available regardless of income level. The program serves both custodial and noncustodial parents.

More Florida Laws

• Florida Alimony Laws
• Florida Child Custody Laws
• Florida Divorce Laws

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a maximum child support amount in Florida?

There is no statutory maximum. The guidelines schedule covers combined monthly net incomes up to $10,000, with set percentages applied to any income above that threshold. Support amounts scale upward based on actual combined parental income and the number of children.

Can I stop paying child support if I am denied visitation?

No. Child support and time-sharing (visitation) are separate legal issues under Florida law. A parent who is denied time-sharing must continue making support payments and address the visitation dispute through a separate court motion. Withholding support can lead to contempt proceedings, wage garnishment, and other enforcement actions.

How do I apply for child support enforcement in Florida?

Contact the Florida Department of Revenue, Child Support Program at floridarevenue.com/childsupport. The program can help locate absent parents, establish paternity, obtain support orders, and enforce existing orders. Services are available to all parents regardless of income level.

Can child support be modified if I lose my job?

Yes, but you need to petition the court for modification promptly. Do not stop paying without a court order. Document your job loss and your efforts to find new employment. The court may reduce support, but modifications generally apply from the filing date forward, not retroactively. Arrears continue to accumulate on the existing order until a new order is entered.

Does my new spouse's income affect my child support obligation?

Generally, no. A new spouse's income is not included in the child support calculation under Fla. Stat. § 61.30. However, if a new spouse's contributions significantly reduce your living expenses, freeing up more of your income, this could become a factor if the other parent requests a deviation. The primary focus remains on each biological parent's income and the children's needs.