How to Figure Child Support Payments in the State of Florida

Child support is money paid from a noncustodial parent to a custodial parent to help support dependent or minor children and is determined in Florida by Florida Statutes s. 61.13. The amount depends on how many children you have to support and how much income you receive. Child support is enacted in Florida through either a judicial court order (signed by a judge) or an administrative order (such as an order from the Child Support Enforcement agency).

Instructions

1. Calculate the noncustodial parent's gross income. Gross income includes every income source including (but not limited to) wages, business income, unemployment and disability benefits, and workers' compensation. Public assistance is not included in gross income calculations.

2. Deduct federal, state, and local income taxes, health insurance payments and any other allowable deductions (mandatory union dues, mandatory retirement payments and spousal support) from your gross income. For example, your gross monthly income might be $4,500 with $600 taken out for deductions, leaving $3,900 as your net income.

3. Check the schedule in Florida statute s. 61.13 to see what your monthly child support payment will be. Locate your income in the left hand column of the guidelines schedule. There are several amounts listed for child support depending on how many children you are supporting. For a monthly income of $3900 with two children (as of 2009), your child support will be $1,261.

Tips & Warnings

• The amounts listed in the statutes are not exact. Judges have leeway to adjust the amounts up or down by about 5 percent.

References

• State of Florida: 2009 Statutes
• My Florida County: Child Support