How is Child Support Calculated in Florida?
The Florida Child Support Enforcement Program is administered by the Florida Department of Revenue. The state of Florida has created guidelines to provide a level of care to children of separated parents that is as close to what the children had been used to before the separation. Another portion of these guidelines is to establish how much child support will be needed to maintain the children’s current level of care.
Florida Child Support Guidelines
Florida has a table of income levels that determine the amount of child support for a given number of children. The primary figure used to calculate support is the income of both parents. Certain expenses also go into the calculation such as taxes, health insurance, and employment-related daycare costs.
The estimated child support due each month is calculated using the gross monthly income of both parents. The amount they must pay is usually based on the percentage of total income contributed. The amount of child support, and how much each parent will be obligated to pay, can vary based on several factors.
What you should include for your income when determining child support:
- Salary or wages, overtime, dividends earned, commissions, bonuses, tips
- Spousal support received from a previous marriage
- Disability benefits, all workers' compensation, and unemployment benefits
- Retirement or pension and social security benefits
- Business income from self-employment
- Income from royalties, trusts, or estates
Sharing Other Expenses
Raising children requires the payment of other expenses, such as educational expenses, healthcare premiums and deductibles, and child care expenses. These additional items of support are also split between the parties, with each party responsible for his or her share of these expenses. Sometimes it is more advantageous that one parent pays one expense while the other parent pays another expense.