{"id":372528,"date":"2018-05-18T05:42:41","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T10:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/florida-law\/florida-child-support-calculations.html"},"modified":"2022-12-21T15:23:05","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T20:23:05","slug":"florida-child-support-calculations","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/florida-law\/florida-child-support-calculations.html","title":{"rendered":"Florida Child Support Calculations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Florida Child Support Calculations<\/h1>\n
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\n By FindLaw Staff<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Nicole Prebeck, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last reviewed\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

In Florida, child support is a parent’s legal obligation to provide for their child financially until the child reaches the age of majority (18). If the child is still in high school or any educational program that provides a degree that is equivalent to a high school diploma, parents are obligated to pay child support until the child reaches the age of 19. Florida follows an "income shares" model to calculate child support<\/a> which means that the combined income of both parents is the determining factor for the amount of support.<\/p>\r\n

Child support<\/a> is meant to maintain the kind of financial support the child would have received had the parents not split up. States, including Florida, take parents’ income into account when determining child support obligations.<\/p>\r\n

Florida Child Support Calculations at a Glance<\/h2>\r\n

Analyzing the exact meaning of the law in any statute is best left to a trained attorney, but a basic and concise explanation of the law is extremely helpful to us all. See the chart below for a plain English summary of the law that relates to Florida’s child support calculations.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Statute<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Sources of Income<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Both parents must complete and file financial affidavits that describe their income and expenses. Gross income includes, but isn’t limited to, the following:<\/p>\r\n

Other Expenses<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n

Beyond the everyday household costs such as food, clothing, and basic living expenses, there are other expenses implicated during the calculation of child support. This includes:<\/p>\r\n

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  • Health care costs (premiums and deductibles)<\/li>\r\n
  • Educational expenses<\/li>\r\n
  • Child care costs<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

    These other expenses are also split between the parents with each parent responsible for their own share.<\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Guidelines Worksheet<\/p>\r\n<\/th>\r\n