How Florida Child Support Is Calculated
Florida uses the Income Shares model. The model starts with both parents' combined net monthly income, looks up the minimum support obligation in the state guidelines schedule, then pro-rates each parent's share based on their proportion of total income.
Calculate each parent's net monthly income
Gross income minus federal income tax, Social Security (6.2%), Medicare (1.45%), and health insurance premiums. Florida has no state income tax.
Look up basic obligation from guidelines schedule
Combined net income is matched to the Florida Schedule of Basic Child Support Obligations to find the minimum obligation for the number of children.
Pro-rate each parent's share
Each parent pays a portion equal to their income divided by the combined income. The non-custodial parent's share is their monthly support payment.
Add mandatory add-ons
Work-related childcare costs and children's health insurance premiums are added proportionally. The NCP's share of these costs is added to their base support.
Florida Basic Support Schedule (Monthly, 2025)
| Combined Net Income | 1 Child | 2 Children | 3 Children | 4 Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | $218 | $317 | $365 | $416 |
| $2,000 | $435 | $632 | $727 | $829 |
| $3,000 | $645 | $938 | $1,079 | $1,230 |
| $4,000 | $797 | $1,159 | $1,334 | $1,520 |
| $5,000 | $936 | $1,361 | $1,567 | $1,785 |
| $6,000 | $1,076 | $1,563 | $1,799 | $2,050 |
| $8,000 | $1,354 | $1,968 | $2,264 | $2,581 |
| $10,000 | $1,633 | $2,373 | $2,729 | $3,110 |
| $12,000 | $1,912 | $2,777 | $3,194 | $3,641 |
| $15,000 | $2,330 | $3,385 | $3,892 | $4,436 |
Values shown are the combined obligation from the Florida Basic Child Support Schedule — each parent pays a proportional share.
Florida Child Support — Frequently Asked Questions
Florida uses "net income" — monthly income after deducting federal and state income tax, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), mandatory union dues, required retirement contributions, and health insurance premiums. Florida has no state income tax, so only federal tax is deducted for most parents.
Florida law requires two mandatory add-ons to the basic support obligation: (1) work-related childcare costs, and (2) children's health insurance premiums. These are divided between parents in proportion to their incomes. Additional add-ons may be ordered for extraordinary medical or educational expenses.
Florida uses a "substantial timesharing" adjustment when the paying parent has at least 20% of overnights (73+ nights/year). When this threshold is met, the support amount is reduced by a formula that accounts for the additional time with the child. This calculator uses the standard formula without the timesharing adjustment.
Yes. Courts can deviate from the guidelines if applying them would be unjust or inappropriate. Deviation factors include the child's extraordinary needs, independent income of the child, significant difference in living standards between households, and the impact of timesharing beyond 20% overnights.
Florida courts can "impute" income to a parent who is voluntarily unemployed or underemployed — calculating support as if they were earning what they reasonably could given their education, skills, and job market. This prevents a parent from reducing support by choosing not to work.